School Choice Often Leaves Immigrant Students Behind, Charleston Study Finds

School choice — policies that let families seek alternatives to their assigned neighborhood public schools and, in some programs, use public funds for private tuition or other educational expenses — is a hotly debated topic in U.S. education. Supporters say it expands options; critics warn it can deepen inequality. Much of the debate focuses on charter schools and vouchers, but far less attention has been paid to how these policies affect immigrant students.

In research conducted in 2024–2025, we examined how charter expansion, magnet admissions and a new voucher policy are shaping academic outcomes for immigrant students in Charleston, South Carolina. Our analysis shows that these school-choice mechanisms often leave immigrant students disadvantaged, particularly those from low-income families, by concentrating resources and experienced staff in selective schools while neighborhood schools struggle to meet students' needs.

Changing Demographics and Policy Context

Charleston County’s foreign-born population has grown rapidly in recent decades. Although South Carolina’s share of foreign-born residents remains smaller than in many states, the number of foreign-born people in the state has increased by more than 900% since 1980, and roughly 7.2% of Charleston County residents are now foreign-born. That demographic shift intersects with the local expansion of charter and magnet schools and a 2025 state law allowing many residents to use virtual vouchers (educational scholarship funds) for private school scholarships or some homeschooling expenses.

The immigrant population in Charleston, S.C., has grown rapidly.Ivan Burchak/iStock via Getty Images Plus

How Choice Reshapes Schools

Charter schools — publicly funded but independently operated — have expanded in Charleston since state law first allowed them in 1996. Research elsewhere suggests that charter growth can increase racial and socioeconomic segregation within districts, and the new voucher policy risks amplifying those divides.

Magnet schools complicate the picture. These free public schools often offer specialized programs and admit students from multiple neighborhoods. Many high-performing magnets admit students based on academic criteria such as test scores or GPA, which tends to favor students from more advantaged backgrounds. As a result, top magnets draw greater shares of white and higher-income students while neighborhood schools are left with higher concentrations of poverty and fewer resources.

Three Charleston High Schools: Stark Contrasts

We compared demographic and academic data from three Charleston-area high schools: North Charleston High School (a neighborhood zoned school), Fort Dorchester High School (another neighborhood public school) and Academic Magnet High School (a selective magnet).

Immigrant students do not necessarily experience some of the potential benefits of school choice.Klaus Vedfelt/Digital Vision via Getty Images

• North Charleston High: ~92.5% Black or Hispanic; ~100% economically disadvantaged (free/reduced-price lunch); ~830 enrolled (fewer than live in the zone); teacher turnover after three years: 39.7%.
• Fort Dorchester High: ~50% Black or Hispanic; ~60% economically disadvantaged; teacher turnover after three years: 18.6%.
• Academic Magnet High School: ~8.9% Black or Hispanic; ~13% economically disadvantaged; teacher turnover after three years: 13.8%.

English Proficiency and Immigrant Students

English proficiency among non-native speakers also differs markedly. At North Charleston High, only 3.4% of non-native English-speaking students were proficient in English, and just 9.3% of all students scored at level 4 or higher on a six-point English scale. At Fort Dorchester, 16.9% of non-native speakers were proficient and 34.4% of students scored level 4 or above. Academic Magnet had too few non-native English speakers for reliable data.

"I try to get them to understand, this is not all America … I would just feel so bad for that," a teacher from a struggling school told us, describing how immigrant students sometimes adopt negative behaviors seen in chronically under-resourced settings.

Implications and Recommendations

Our findings indicate that school choice mechanisms in Charleston have coincided with growing segregation and widening inequality across schools — trends that disproportionately harm immigrant students. Policy discussions about charter expansion, magnet admissions and voucher programs should explicitly consider immigrant students and equity impacts. Without targeted supports — such as equitable funding, English learner programs, transportation options and strategies to retain experienced teachers — expansions of choice risk reinforcing existing disparities rather than broadening opportunity.

Authors: William McCorkle and Beth Lloyd, College of Charleston. This article summarizes forthcoming research and is based on analyses conducted in 2024–2025.