About Charter Schools

Charter schools are public schools: As a public school, a charter school is open to all who wish to attend, parents pay no tuition, and there are no district boundaries. They are sponsored in California, by school districts, local county boards of education or the State Board of Education. In exchange for greater accountability for their results, charter schools operate free from the traditional bureaucratic and regulatory red tape that stifle public schools.

People want charter schools: In eleven short years, California charter schools have grown in number to 471, serving approximately 170,000 students. Charter schools have been formed by parents, educators and many diverse community organizations.

Charter schools give people choices: Charter schools provide the chance for communities to create the greatest range of educational choices for the children they serve. They have the opportunity and the incentive to create schools that provide new and more innovative services to students. Through competition, charter schools inspire the rest of the public school system to improve and be more responsive to the needs of the students and parents.

Charter Schools are more accountable than other public schools: Charters offer an unprecedented level of accountability. If a charter school cannot attract students, it does not receive taxpayer money and is closed. In addition, if a charter school fails to achieve clearly stated student performance goals, its authorizers can close it. In contrast, when traditional public schools are failing, they continue to operate, and they often get additional funding.

For more information on charter schools, please visit the Charter Schools Association website for more information.