Dive Brief:

• The spread of charter schools has helped contribute to the closure of urban Catholic private schools, but some in the private school community are looking to charters as a model for how to expand their footprint.
• That growth is bolstered in part by the rollout of large private school voucher programs in states like Nevada.
• Private school experts say the sector needs to look at how charter schools attract talented teachers and support innovative school models.

Dive Insight:

According to Education Week, there are still big questions for the private sector to answer beyond talent and innovation for expansion to be possible. The biggest one is whether voucher programs, which typically provide between $4,000 and $7,000 per student, are sufficient to encourage school expansions and replications. "That money can add desks and hire a teacher," Michael McShane, director of education policy for the Show-Me Institute, told Education Week. "It's a huge leap for private schools that are running on tight margins to build a new building."

There's also considerable debate over whether the supply of private school seats in many states already outstrips demands, given current voucher programs.