Public K-12 education is a one-size-fits-all system that cannot meet the diverse needs of students. When parents choose a school, they look at several criteria unique to their situation and make trade-offs between their preferences based on their needs. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors influencing parents to enroll their sixth-grade children at charter schools rather than traditional public schools. A qualitative methodology with a case study design identified commonalities among parents to answer why they chose a school that deviates from the conventional educational path. This study's theoretical framework is the rational choice theory. Rational choice theory explains how humans make decisions by assessing the costs, risks, and rewards in education. This study occurred at charter school campuses within a public charter school district in Texas. Purposeful sampling was used to seek out 12 participants who shared the characteristic of having at least one sixth-grade child enrolled in a charter school for the first time in the 2022-2023 school year. An Interviewing Protocol Instrument for interviews collected thick descriptions to discover the responses. The charter school district's Parent Satisfaction Survey gathered the final data. Four main themes emerged: charter school campus qualities, child-related qualities, charter school district qualities, and outside influences. The findings showed that participants agreed that their child's specific characteristics were the most important factor and that family finances were the least important factor. To be a leader in the educational marketplace, it will be necessary for all stakeholders to determine the preferences of parents and students in their community and create school programs that best meet those needs. Providing effective information to parents regarding curriculum, school safety, school culture, and representation of various ethnic groups and academic representation on campus is essential to retaining their engagement in the educational process. [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://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]