Neighborhood Charter School

I read with alarm your news report that Peabody Charter School had just held its annual lottery for children who live in that school’s attendance area and that some families were likely to be disappointed because of lack of places. I raised a family in the Peabody School district and would never have dreamed that today my children might not be able to attend their neighborhood school at the end of the street. While I realize that the concept of a charter school involves an open enrollment policy and the numbers may be unpredictable, it seems unfair and unjust that children who live in the immediate vicinity cannot be guaranteed a place. In view of the apparent space problem, I also question why children of employees would have priority over neighborhood children. Charter schools offer educational benefits that appeal to many families, but these schools should not usurp the rights of the families living nearby.