Common questions taken from the Colorado League of Charter Schools website.
- Do charter schools charge tuition or special fees?
- Do charter schools take money away from public schools?
- What populations do charter schools serve?
- Are charter schools held accountable for meeting state standards?
- Are charter schools private, religious-based and/or selective?
- Do public charter schools employ under qualified teachers?
- Do charter schools only exist in districts that are failing?
- What programs are offered at FCA?
- Why are FCA's CSAP scores not published?
Do charter schools charge tuition or special fees?
Charter schools are free, public schools of choice. There is no tuition fee
to attend. Charter schools are public schools open to all students. The
primary enrollment limitation at most public charter schools is space
availability or enrollment caps and restrictions placed by local school
districts.
Do charter schools take money away from public schools?
Charter schools are public schools. Per pupil funding goes to the school
where the child is being educated.
Public charter schools receive less total funding than non-charter public
schools, resulting in more education per tax dollar. Public charter schools
are funded using the same per pupil funding as non-charter public schools
within the school district. Statewide, in 2001-2002 the average received by
non-charter public schools was $9,127 per pupil. The average revenue
received by public charter schools was less than $6,500 per pupil.
Also, public charter schools do not have the taxing authority for buildings
and operations that public school districts have. As a result, charter
schools usually do not have access to those substantial additional funds to
use for facility and operational needs. For example, in some school
districts that have issued voter-approved bonds or mill levy overrides,
charter schools receive as much as $2,800 less revenue per pupil than other
public schools in the same district.
What populations do charter schools serve?
Public charter schools offer a broad range of educational options, in a
variety of geographical regions and serve a wide breadth of students. No two
public charter schools are alike. Many public charter schools are created
around a specific educational philosophy (e.g. Montessori, Core Knowledge or
Expeditionary Learning), while others utilize traditional curriculum models.
In addition, while some public charter schools serve the needs of a
particular group of students (e.g. parenting teens), many public charter
schools are developed to provide new educational options to students.
Are charter schools held accountable for meeting state standards?
Public charter schools ARE held to the same state and federal accountability
standards as all other non-charter public school, and are accountable to the
school district that authorized the charter school. In fact, because public
charter schools must meet all state and federal accountability standards AND
they must meet special requirements of their contract with local school
districts, public charter schools are often said to be more accountable than
non-charter public schools. Public charter schools students must take the
same CSAP tests as other non-charter public schools, they receive the same
School Accountability Reports as other schools, and they must comply with
the same provisions of Federal law, including the No Child Left Behind Act,
special education requirements, anti-discrimination and other laws affecting
public schools.
Are charter schools private, religious-based and/or selective?
Charter schools are free, public schools of choice and are open to all
students. Public charter schools are non-sectarian, non-religious and are
held to the same state and federal anti-discrimination provisions. As a
public school of choice, charter schools have no admission requirements or
fees.
Do public charter schools employ under qualified teachers?
While almost every public charter school has waived state statutes mandating
teacher licensure, most do hire licensed teachers. Waiving the statute
provides flexibility to public charter schools to hire the teachers they
feel best qualified for a particular position. Often, the best-qualified
teacher is in fact licensed. In 2001- 2002, teachers in public charter
schools had an average of more than 5 years of prior teaching experience.
The federal �No Child Left Behind� Act requiring �highly qualified� teachers
applies to public charter schools just as it does to all other non-charter
public schools.
Do charter schools only exist in districts that are failing?
Public charter schools are innovators in public education. Charter schools
are not created as alternatives to non-charter public schools, but rather as
a crucial part of offering choice in education to parents and students.
Public charter schools enhance what districts are already offering.
What programs are offered at FCA?
FCA offers the Core Knowledge curriculum supported by Everyday Math,
Spalding Language Arts, and Open Court Reading. In addition to our
curriculum we have a Talented and Gifted Program, Before and After School
Care, and a character education program that features CARE Groups. For more
information on any of these programs please contact the school office.
Why are FCA's CSAP scores not published?
Due to FCA's small class sizes our CSAP scores cannot legally be posted. If
you would like to know how our scores compare to the state and local
districts, please contact the school office.
