More than 17,000 names on charter school waiting lists

Students on the waiting list for admission to E.L. Haynes Public Charter School’s earliest grades are in good company — if more than 3,000 children count as “company” rather than Disney World on a sunny day.

Waiting lists for the city’s public charter schools are running a total 17,396 names deep, according to the D.C. Public Charter School Board. That’s 51 percent of the total number of students successfully enrolling in the city’s public charter schools in the fall, or 33,699 children. This year, 31,562 students attended charter schools, while 45,630 attended DC Public Schools.