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1) What is a charter school?
A charter school is a type of public school. Charter schools provide
education through a “charter”, which is a type of contract
granted by a chartering entity such as the State Board of Education
or the board of trustees of an independent school district.
2) What are the purposes of charter schools?
The purposes of charter schools are to: (1) improve student learning;
(2) increase the choice of learning opportunities within the public
school system; (3) create professional opportunities that will attract
new teachers to the public school system; (4) establish a new form of
accountability for public schools; and (5) encourage different and innovative
learning methods.
3) How long have charter schools been in existence?
The Texas Legislature authorized the establishment of charter schools
in 1995, and some of the “first generation” charter schools
have been in operation since the fall of 1996.
4) Are there different types of charter schools?
Yes. Four classes of charters are authorized by the Texas Education
Code: (1) home-rule school district charters; (2) campus or campus program
charters; (3) open-enrollment charters; and (4) college or university
charters. There are currently no schools operating under home-rule school
district charters or college or university charters. Most of the charter
schools in Texas operate under open-enrollment charters, which are granted
by the State Board of Education.
5) Who may be granted an open-enrollment charter?
The State Board of Education may grant an open-enrollment charter to
any of the following types of entities: an institution of higher education;
a governmental entity; or a non-profit corporation that has tax exempt
status under section 501©(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. A majority
of the open-enrollment charters that have been granted are held by non-profit
corporations; however, several open-enrollment charters have been awarded
to universities and governmental entities. (Note: Colleges and universities
may also apply for college or university charters under Chapter 12,
Subchapter E).
6) Is there a list of open-enrollment charter schools currently
operating?
Yes. The list of open-enrollment charter schools may be found online
through the Texas Education Agency.
7) How can I determine whether there is an open-enrollment charter
school in my area?
You may call the Texas Education Agency, Charter Schools Division at
512-463-9575.
8) Is there a limit on how many open-enrollment charters the
State Board of Education may grant?
Yes. The State Board of Education may not grant more then 215 open-enrollment
charters. There are currently approximately 200 active open-enrollment
charters, some of which authorize the sponsoring entity/charter holder
to operate more than one campus under the charter.
9) How long is the term of an open-enrollment charter?
The term for an open-enrollment charter is not set out in statute; however,
the practice has been initially to grant open-enrollment charters for
a five-year period and then to renew the charters for a ten-year period.
10) Can a charter be revoked before its term expires?
Yes. The Commissioner may revoke the charter of an open-enrollment charter
school if she/he determines that the charter holder: (1) committed a
material violation of the charter, including failure to satisfy accountability
provisions prescribed by the charter; (2) failed to satisfy generally
accepted accounting standards of fiscal management; (3) failed to protect
the health, safety, or welfare of the students enrolled at the school;
or (4) failed to comply with Texas Education Code Chapter 12, Subchapter
D or another applicable law or rule. The Commissioner may also modify,
place on probation, or deny renewal of a charter based on these same
four reasons.
*The information supplied above is intended for guidance relating
to charter schools and should not be construed as TEA rules.
II. Who we are
1) Public charter school, no tuition required
2) Accredited by TEA
3) Lectures meet minimum requirements, but students are allowed to accelerate
at their own pace
4) Students attend 4.5 hours per day
7:10am – 11:58am: Morning Session
11:10 – 3:40 pm: Afternoon Session
5) School of choice. We are able to provide a private school atmosphere
without cost to you. You must want to be here in order to be successful.
You choose to come. You also may choose to leave based on the level
of your performance or lack thereof. Class size is 15 or less.
6) All students are required to participate in scheduled service to
the community 4 hours per month.
7) Assignment of homework and issuance of books is controlled by each
teacher. We have 8 certified teachers.
III. Who we are not
1) A quick and easy place to get some credits. You will not receive
credits for seat time.
2) A school for disciplinary problem students. Their regular school
has an AEP for that.
IV. What we require
1) Must attend your complete schedule regularly at least 94% of the
time.
2) Three consecutive days absent may result in withdrawal unless communication
with school is made by the student.
3) Days not present are considered days absent. Excessive absenses will
result in loss of credits for the semester.
4) Arrange all doctor appointments before or after your scheduled school
day.
5) Students who are truant will be referred to the local authority.
6) There is an established probation period of up to 3 weeks to determine
if you can be sucessful in this environment.