Understanding Charter Schools: Policies, Boundaries, and Operations.
Charter schools are public schools operating under an independent contract or “charter” with an authorizing agency—typically a non-profit organization, government agency or university. The charter provides the school with operational autonomy to pursue specific educational objectives regarding curriculum, staff, and budget. It also holds them accountable to the same (often higher) standards of their district public school peers.
Yes, charter schools are public schools governed by a board of directors. Charter schools provide a high-quality education option to public school students, upholding high standards that meet and often exceed the district and state metrics. Charter school boards may have education management organizations agreements that provide the day-to-day operations of the school or they may be independent.
Charter schools approved under any state-wide authorizer do not have traditional school boundaries like district schools. Any student who lives in South Carolina is allowed to attend any charter school to which the student has been accepted in the lottery.
How do I enroll my child in a charter school?
Most charter schools have an enrollment period when parents can submit applications for the school. If there are more applications submitted than seats available, they will hold a randomized blind lottery.
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Yes, before applying to be a charter school, the planning committee must apply to be a nonprofit under the Secretary of State’s office.
Charter schools can be started by any interested party, including parents, community members, and teachers. Charter school planning committees must include one teacher by SC Charter School Law. Once formed and the nonprofit has been secured the committee can then submit the charter school application to the authorizer.
No, charter schools do not have admission requirements or entrance exams. Though many charter schools are in high demand and when that demand exceeds the spaces available in the school, a charter school may hold a randomized, blind lottery to determine which students are admitted or may preference students by need or location. Charter schools that are designated as Alternative Education Campus may have priority enrollment, i.e., a school whose mission is to educate students with dyslexia.
Authorizers are the institutions that decide who can start a new charter school, set expectations, and oversee school performance, and decide which schools should continue to serve students or not. Authorizers are traditional school districts, universities and legislated organizations.
No, charter schools are tuition-free, public schools.
Charter schools typically have a theme/focused mission or are established in reaction to the local traditional schools failing schools. Charter schools have flexibility in curriculum, employment, discipline etc., but not in federal programs such as special education.
Charter schools sponsored by a local district are funded by state, federal, and local monies. Charter schools sponsored by a statewide authorizer are funded by state and federal monies. Statewide authorized schools receive 100% of state base funding as approved annually during the legislative process by the proviso in the state budget. Funds are allocated based on the number of pupils plus the weighting of the student’s categorical classification which includes special education, vocational, and pupils in poverty. Statewide Authorizers maintain a 2% administrative fee.
Yes—the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) acknowledged in a 2015 memo that all charter schools are considered accredited if they are in good standing with their sponsor/authorizer. The SCDE publishes a list of accredited charter schools on its website. When a charter school is accredited, it means that credits earned by students are eligible for transfer to any public school, that diplomas are issued by the State of South Carolina the same way they are for traditional schools and are considered valid by colleges and universities. In addition to state accreditation, schools can choose to go through AdvancEd accreditation, a nationally recognized accreditation process. See the individual school websites for more details.
