FOR YOUR INFORMATION: Charter Schools

In 1996 the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation to allow charter schools.

While Wake County currently has more charter schools than any other county in the state, there has been a growing discussion in our community that additional charter schools are needed. Support for more charter schools in Wake County stems from many reasons, including as a strategy to provide more seats for the growing student population, as well as a desire for an alternative to the traditional public schools in our community.

Because they are a topic of increasing interest in Wake County, this edition of Wake FYI takes a closer look at charter schools.

FAQs on Charter Schools

• What is a charter school?

  The National Center for Education Statistics defines a charter school as:

  A publicly funded school that, in accordance with an enabling state statute, has been granted a charter exempting it from selected state or local rules and regulations.

  A charter school may be newly created, or it may previously have been a public or private school; it is typically governed by a group or organization (e.g., a group of educators, a corporation, or a university) under a contract or charter with the state. In return for funding and autonomy, the charter school must meet accountability standards.

  A school's charter is reviewed (typically every 3 to 5 years) and can be revoked if guidelines on curriculum and management are not followed or the standards are not met.

• How long have charter schools existed in the U.S.?

  The first charter school opened in Minnesota in 1992.

• Are charter schools public or private schools?

  Charter schools are public schools. They receive government funds to operate (in North Carolina, charter schools are eligible for local, state, and federal operating funds but not the same capital funds as traditional public schools) and in many states are authorized by some state or local government organization (such as a state department of education, a local board of education, or, as in North Carolina, the state board of education.).

• For what reasons do people typically support charter schools?

• The idea that introducing an element of competition for traditional public schools can lead to improvement of existing schools.
• Charter schools are allowed to operate independent of some of the policies or requirements that traditional public schools must follow. These requirements vary from state to state, but may include issues such as how money can be spent, to what types of teachers can be hired, to class sizes, or the curriculum taught.
• This freedom from state/local policy also allows charter schools to experiment and engage in innovative educational practices.
• Charter schools can focus on a specific theme, curriculum, or student population in ways that traditional public schools often cannot unless they are a magnet or other specially created school.
• Charter schools often have smaller student populations and sometimes class sizes that supporters feel provides a better learning environment.

• For what reasons do people typically oppose charter schools?

• The public funds which are given to charter schools diminish the resources available for the school system in which the charter school operates and could compromise the education received by students who choose to stay in the traditional public schools.
• Charter schools often have more homogeneous student populations and do not expose students to diversity in the same ways as traditional public schools do.
• Charter schools often have more homogeneous student populations and do not expose students to diversity in the same ways as traditional public schools do.
• The freedom charter schools have from state and local educational and financial requirements also limit the protections and accountability for students and taxpayers.
• Charter schools cannot always provide the full range of courses and educational resources available in the traditional public schools. This can be especially true for special needs students.

Charter Schools Around the U.S.

• In the 2006-07 school year there were 3,977 charter schools in the United States.

• An estimated 1.15 million students attend those charter schools.

• Forty states and the District of Columbia have charter school laws in place.

• States which currently have no charter school law: Alabama, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia.

States with the Largest Number of Charter Schools and Charter School Enrollment
(2006-07 estimate)

• Follow this link to view a list of charter schools and enrollment by state.

Charter Schools in North Carolina and Wake County

• North Carolina’s law allowing the creation of charter schools was passed in 1996.

• In 2006 the Center for Education Reform ranked North Carolina’s charter school law as the 15th best in the nation, down from 12th in the 2004 rankings. North Carolina’s law received an overall “B” rating based on 11 criteria. Follow this link to view the rankings of all charter school laws, including North Carolina’s.

• Key components of North Carolina’s law and state policy on charter schools:

• Allow a maximum of 100 charter schools.
• Charters are awarded by the State Board of Education.
• Charters are good for ten years, with a review of the school conducted after five years. Schools can apply to renew their charters when they expire.
• Charter schools must have open admission policies (there can be no requirements for admission or tuition charged).
• Student populations are to reflect the racial/ethnic compositions of the school systems in which the charter schools are located.
• Seventy-five percent of teachers in elementary charter schools and 50 percent of teachers in charter high schools must be certified.
• Charter schools must participate in state mandated ABCs tests.

• Follow this link to read N.C.’s charter school law and related state policies.

• In 2006-07, approximately 28,000 students were enrolled in North Carolina charter schools.

• There are 94 charter schools operating in North Carolina for the 2006-07 school year. The five counties with the largest number of charter schools are:
  

Follow this link to view a list of all charter schools currently operating in North Carolina.

• Approximately 4,000 Wake County students attend charter schools. This figure is not constant throughout the school year as students move between charter schools and traditional public schools in Wake County.

• A snapshot of 2005-06 academic performance in North Carolina schools:
  

  Indicator	All N.C. Charter Schools	All N.C. Schools	Wake County Charter Schools	Wake County Public School System
  Schools Making Expected Growth on the ABCs Model	35%	43%	36%	57%
  Schools Making High Growth on the ABCs Model	12%	11%	21%	23%
  Schools Making At Least Expected Growth (Expected + High Growth: Total of rows one and two)	47%	54%	57%	80%

For More Information on Charter Schools

• View the resources available on the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Office of Charter Schools website.

• Go to the Center for Education Reform’s website.

• Learn more about the work of the National Clearinghouse on Charter Schools.

• Visit the Education Commission of the States’ website on charter schools.

• Examine charter school information and resources available through the U.S. Department of Education.