What It Means
A charter school is a public schoolPublic schoolA school run by publicly elected or appointed officials and paid for mainly with public money, including district, charter and magnet schools. See more that runs under a charter, a contract with a state, a school district or another authorizing body, and is paid for with public money. NCES describes charters as typically governed by a group or organization under that contract. Under the federal definition, a charter school is nonsectarian, charges no tuition, and holds a lottery when more students apply than it has room for. The Department of Education's charter program guidance describes charters as schools parents choose to send their children to.
Try It: Four Quick Questions About Charter Schools
Answer each one. Based on the federal definition of a charter school in ESEA section 4310.
Right. A charter school charges no tuition.
No. The federal definition says no tuition.
Right, with a narrow exception for students moving up from an affiliated charter school.
It's true. Oversubscribed charters admit by lottery.
Right. It must be nonsectarian in its programs, admissions and hiring.
No. A charter school must be nonsectarian.
Right. Charters are public schools, and their admissions must comply with Part B of IDEA.
No. Charters are public schools, and the definition ties their admissions to Part B of IDEA.
How Parents Say It
- "We entered the charter lottery for kindergarten."
- "He's number 12 on the charter school waitlist."
- "Is it a charter or a regular district school?"
The Breakdown
What makes a school a charter, by the federal definition (ESEA section 4310, per the U.S. Department of Education)
| Feature | The rule |
|---|---|
| Public | A public school, under public supervision and direction |
| Grades | Elementary, secondary or both |
| Cost | No tuition |
| Religion | Nonsectarian in programs, admissions and employment |
| Admission | A lottery when more students apply than it can take |
| Disability and civil rights | Admissions must comply with Part B of IDEA and federal civil rights laws |
How many families use them. NCES reports that charter enrollment more than doubled from fall 2010 to fall 2021, from 1.8 million to 3.7 million students, which was 7 percent of public school students in fall 2021.
By stage. Before kindergarten and before the move to middle or high school, check each charter's application dates and lottery date, since a charter takes applications rather than assigning seats. If your child would join mid-year, ask whether the school keeps a waitlist.
When to talk to the school. If your child has an IEPIEPAn IEP (Individualized Education Program) is the written plan a public school makes for a child who qualifies for special education under IDEA. See more or a 504 plan504 planA school's plan of supports for a student whose disability substantially limits a major life activity, under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. See more, ask the charter school before enrolling how it will deliver the services and who handles special education. Buhata's special education and IEP pages explain the rights a public school has to meet.
Good to Know
Beyond the federal definition, your state's charter law and the school's own charter set many of the details. Ask each charter school for its admission policy, its lottery date and whether it provides transportation. Because charter schools are public schools, they take part in your state's yearly ESSA tests and appear on the state's school report cardReport card(1) The school's periodic report of a student's grades to parents; (2) the yearly public report on school and district results that ESSA requires states and districts to publish. See more.
FAQ
Is a charter school a public school?
Yes. NCES and the federal definition both treat charter schools as public schools paid for with public funds, run under a charter with a state, district or other authorizer.
Do charter schools cost money?
There's no tuition. The federal definition says a charter school charges none; ask the school about other costs such as uniforms or trips.
How do you get into a charter school?
Apply by the school's deadline. If more students apply than it has seats, the federal definition requires a lottery, so ask each school when its lottery is held and what happens if your child isn't picked.
Do It in Buhata
Calendar, Countdown, Tasks
Put each charter school's application deadline and lottery date on your Buhata Calendar, with a Countdown to the earliest one.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Magnet school
A public school with a special theme or teaching approach, such as science or the arts, built to draw students from across a district and from different backgrounds.
- Public school
A school run by publicly elected or appointed officials and paid for mainly with public money, including district, charter and magnet schools.
- Private school
A school that isn't supported mainly by public funds and gives classroom teaching in one or more of grades K to 12, whether religious or nonsectarian.
- School choice
The range of K to 12 options a family can pick from instead of only the assigned public school: other public schools, charters, private school or homeschooling.
- School zone
A marked stretch of road near a school where drivers must watch for children and obey the posted school zone speed limit, often at set times of day.
Sources
National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education, "Public Charter School Enrollment"; U.S. Department of Education, "Charter Schools Program Title V, Part B of the ESEA Nonregulatory Guidance" (January 2014); U.S. Department of Education, Charter Schools Program statute (ESEA, as amended by ESSA); U.S. Department of Education, "IDEA Charter School FAQ"
- nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cgb/public-charter-enrollment
- www.ed.gov/media/document/title-v-part-b-nonregulatory-guidance-charter-schools-program-january-2014-16985.pdf
- www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/2019/11/Statute-for-website.pdf
- sites.ed.gov/idea/files/policy_speced_guid_idea_memosdcltrs_faq-idea-charter-school.pdf
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