School of choice has been touted as a solution to the alleged decay of the American educational system. Every year more and more "choice schools" (charter, magnet, expeditionary, and others) open across the United States. Although these schools are subject to the same federal legal requirements as traditional public schools to provide a free and appropriate public education, there is a substantial body of research suggesting that inequalities exist in the representation and performance of students who attend choice and neighborhood schools. The Douglas County School District in Colorado has been on the forefront of the choice school movement. It is unique among school districts offering charter schools due to the relatively high socioeconomic status of its residents. Historically, most charter schools have replaced low achieving schools or have been opened in high poverty urban areas. Accordingly, there is minimal research on how charter schools function in affluent communities and how accessible they are to all families in the communities they serve. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in the population of subgroups of historically disadvantaged students at charter schools compared to neighborhood schools due to barriers causing a lack of real choice for some families in Douglas County. The result of this research indicates that there is, in fact, a significant difference. The gap in attendance rates is especially true for students who qualify for free or reduced cost lunch and special education students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]