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BESE
Charter School Overview
Charter Schools Are:
Independent public schools.
Operated under an initial 5-year charter granted by a local school board or by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), subject to a third year review.
Required to meet student achievement and other results or have its charter revoked.
Required to participate in the state accountability program, including high stakes testing.
Organized as nonprofit corporations (except Type 4 charter schools) and governed by their own board of directors within the framework agreed to in the charter granted by the local school board or BESE.
Free from many laws and regulations governing public schools, but in the place of regulations, charter schools are held accountable for student achievement and other results.
Designed to provide learning environments to improve student achievement, particularly for those "at-risk.”
Required to reflect the same at-risk percentage as the public school district where the charter school is located.
Under state law, required to maintain an instructional faculty composed of at least 75% of the teachers certified by BESE or the French Ministry of Education, if a Type 1, 2, 3, or 4; Type 5 charter schools’ instructional faculty certification requirements are related to the percentage of certified teachers in the school district from which the school transferred under state law.
Under federal law, required to meet the qualifications of instructional faculty set forth in the No Child Left Behind law.
Free to use a wide variety of educational resources and are not required to use state-approved textbooks.
Required to meet minimum standards of instructional time, as mandated by law; however, the length of the charter school day and year varies from school to school.
Established by many different groups, including businesses, nonprofit organizations, community or parent groups, universities, municipalities, teachers, and more . . . as long as no fewer than three certified teachers are among the sponsoring group.
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Charter School Types
Type 1 – Charter with local school board (new start-up)
Type 2 – Charter with BESE (new start-up or conversion)
Type 3 – Charter with local school board (conversion)
Type 4 – School Board Charter with BESE (new start-up or conversion)
Type 5 – Charter with BESE (pre-existing public school under the jurisdiction of the RSD)
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Charter School Funding
Type 1, Type 3, Type 4, or Type 5 charter schools receive funding from the Minimum Foundation Program, which flows through its local school board or the Recovery School District, if a Type 5 charter school. Type 2 charter schools receive funding from a general fund appropriation which flows through the State Department of Education and BESE.
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Charter School Admissions
Charter Schools are not forced to enroll students within a certain attendance zone. For example, Type 1 charter schools can accept students from anywhere in the district. Type 2 charter schools can accept students from anywhere in the state. Residency requirements of students eligible to attend charter schools are defined in each school’s approved charter.
Types 1, 2, 3, and 4 charter schools may have admission requirements that are consistent with the school’s role, scope, and mission. Type 5 charter schools are open admission schools having no admission requirements.
Charter Schools provide options for parents to send their children to schools that may more closely meet the particular needs of that child.
Charter Schools must reflect the at-risk population of public school students in the district in which they are located.
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