What is a charter school? - Hill Pointe School

What is a charter school?

All charter schools are tuition-free public schools—open to all students, regardless of their zip code, and governed by public citizens who make up the board of directors.

Charter schools have the freedom to design classrooms that meet their students’ needs and are given the flexibility to articulate a distinct mission, design a curriculum around that mission and hire faculty who can best deliver it.

All charter schools operate under a contract with a charter school authorizer – usually a nonprofit organization, government agency, or university – that holds them accountable to the high standards outlined in their “charter.”

The reasons that parents choose charter schools for their children are just as unique as the students themselves. They choose charter schools because of the strong, dedicated teachers, because the school’s focus matches their child’s needs, or simply because their child was struggling in their assigned public school and needed to try something new. Charter schools provide families with options in public education, allowing parents to take a more active role in their child’s education.

Every single charter school in the state of Michigan is a tuition-free, public entity with nonprofit status. A charter school is required to adhere to Michigan statutes and rules for special education, as well as the federal requirement. Charter schools are also widely known as Public School Academies.

Source: National Charter School Alliance