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In Madison Elementary School District, nearly half of the students enrolled in one of its eight campuses live outside the district boundaries.

For the Central Phoenix district, that鈥檚 nearly 3,000 students who choose a Madison school.

A recent shows that Madison鈥檚 open enrollment numbers are the norm. Nearly one in two students in Maricopa County do not attend their assigned district school, according to research by the Center for Student Achievement and Matthew Hom, a Yale PhD candidate.

The study mapped students in nine elementary school districts in Maricopa County and the enrollment in public charter schools within those boundaries. It did not include online or private schools.

鈥淐hoice permeates Arizona and especially the Valley,鈥� said Matt Gress, Madison Elementary School District governing board member. 鈥淚t鈥檚 agnostic and incredibly easy to use. There is no stigma in choosing what鈥檚 right for your child. It鈥檚 actually expected.鈥�

Matthew Ladner, an education policy analyst who has written extensively about school choice and academic performance in public schools, called the findings 鈥済roundbreaking.鈥�

鈥淭his is the first study that proves open enrollment and school choice are pervasive,鈥� he said. 鈥淔amilies in Arizona have the opportunity to find a good fit 鈥� whether it鈥檚 a district, charter or private school 鈥� and that鈥檚 very positive.鈥�

Choice in Arizona has also lead to quality schools and academic improvements, Ladner said. Arizona is only that has made statistically significant improvements on the National Assessment for Education Progress, or NAEP.

鈥淪chool choice is the elephant in the room when it comes to academic performance,鈥� he said. 鈥淧eople don鈥檛 have to stay in a school that doesn鈥檛 work for their child. Instead families have the opportunity to find a school that meets their child鈥檚 needs, which I believe is having an impact on school quality.鈥�

Nearly 25 years after Arizona Governor Fife Symington signed open enrollment and charter school legislation into law, school districts and charter schools are working to attract and retain families, which have paved the groundwork for the school choice state we are today.

At Madison, the district just completed a state-of-the-art 920-seat performing arts theater for its students. Its schools have specialty programs such as language immersion, International Baccalaureate and performing arts.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been here for 125 years and I think that Madison is responding to the changing educational landscape. Parents and kids expect a wide array of options because we know that one size doesn鈥檛 fit all,鈥� said Gress. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not afraid to compete with schools. Our goal is to be a phenomenal option for students and continue to be the school choice families make.鈥�