Joylee Taylor

· 04 Nov 2021

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What are Charter Schools?

A charter school is a tuition-free school of choice that is funded by the government but operated autonomously. Charter schools were founded over 25 years ago in Minnesota as a way to reduce red tape in public schools and allow educators to innovate.

They have since grown into a national movement that spans 44 states plus the District of Columbia, with approximately 7,000 schools and 3 million students, according to federal figures.

Charter schools are tied to the provisions of a contract, or "charter," that lays out a school's mission, academic goals, fiscal limits, and accountability standards in exchange for exemptions from many of the state rules and regulations that control regular public schools.

An authorizer—such as a state agency, a university, or a school district, depending on the state—is on the opposite side of a charter contract and has the authority to close charter schools that do not follow the requirements of their contracts.

This is what charter school supporters refer to as the "charter bargain": more flexibility in exchange for increased accountability. The limitations that charter schools escape, as well as how the schools are funded, are determined by state legislation.

Charter schools do not accept kids from a certain geographic region; instead, families opt to send their children to them. If the demand for enrollment in a charter school exceeds the available capacity, pupils are normally selected by a random lottery.

Who Runs Charter Schools?
On a daily basis, a charter school is operated by a school leader or principal and monitored by an appointed board, much like a local charity. Charter schools, unlike many traditional public schools, are not directly governed by an elected school board, but there is a qualifier to that last statement that we shall explain shortly.

At the macro level, charter schools are controlled by an authorizer, which is a state-authorized entity with the authority to approve new charter schools and close failed ones.

Are Charter Schools Non-Profit?
Nonprofit charter management organizations, or CMOs, oversee several of the most well-known charter school networks, including KIPP and Success Academy. Some states also permit for-profit groups known as education management organizations, or EMOs, to operate charter schools. This is where a charter school's profit position might get perplexing.

Although the schools are not for profit, they may contract with a for-profit corporation to manage some or all of the school's operations. Hiring instructors, providing school facilities, devising curricula, and establishing school regulations are all examples of what this entails.

How Are Charter Schools Funded?
Generally speaking, charters receive state and local money based on the number of students they enroll, as well as money from the federal government to provide special education services, just like traditional district schools. The federal government also gives grants to expand charter schools.

Most states do not allocate funds for charter school facilities. Charter schools—like district and private schools—can also raise additional funds through private donations.

Philanthropy has been a major force in the expansion of charter schools in urban areas serving low-income students—in particular the college-prep, “no-excuse” charter school models.

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