News in Brief: A National Roundup

The total number of charter schools open for business across the nation climbed this fall to 2,700, an increase of 14 percent from last year, preliminary figures show.

Overall, 393 new charter schools started up this fall, according to the Center for Education Reform, a nonprofit organization in Washington that supports charter schools.

Among states with the largest number of new charter schools opening this school year, California topped the list with 89, bringing the Golden...