What is a Charter School?
A charter school is a public school, and it may provide instruction in any of grades K-12. A charter school is usually created or organized by a group of teachers, parents and community leaders or a community-based organization, and it is usually sponsored by an existing local public school board or county board of education. Specific goals and operating procedures for the charter school are detailed in an agreement (or "charter") between the sponsoring board and charter organizers.
A charter school is generally exempt from most laws governing school districts, except where specifically noted in the law. California public charter schools are required to participate in the statewide assessment test, called the STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) program. The law also requires that a public charter school be nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations and prohibits the conversion of a private school to a charter school. Public charter schools may not charge tuition and may not discriminate against any pupil on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, gender, or disability.
How Do I Start A Charter School?
You will find more information regarding charter schools throughout the Charter School Web pages. If you are interested in starting a charter school, you can print or download information on the California Department of Education's Web site. A package of documents and information has been developed for parties interested in developing a charter school. Included in the package is:
Printable Web pages (click on the link and select printer friendly version in top right corner of each page):
- CDE State Board Numbering Request Calendar 2008
- Sources for California Charter School Advocacy & Assistance
- California Education Code Charter School Sections
- California Code of Regulations Charter School Sections
- Charter School Division Contact Matrix By Geographic Regions By Topic
Printable documents (click on the link and select print from the File Menu of your browser) or download the document (right click and select Save Target As from the pop-up menu):
- Sample copy of a Memorandum of Understanding between the California Department of Education and a State Board of Education approved charter school (DOC; 811KB; 56pp.)
- Charter School Supplemental Resources (DOC; 33KB; 4pp.)
- Request for State Board Numbering (XLS; 35KB; 1p.)
To be submitted with charter petition. - Charter School Annual Funding Survey 2007-08
- Request for County-District-School
(CDS) Code
To be submitted with charter petition for numbering by the State Board of Education.
We recommend you bookmark our Web site and periodically check the Charter School's Web page to obtain the most up-to-date information regarding charter schools. If you would like the packet of information sent to you, send a letter with your mailing address and your request for a charter school information packet to:
California Department of Education
Charter School Division
Suite 5401
1430 N Street
Sacramento CA 95814
916-322-6029
