Charter schools differ from one another in terms of their origins, the authority under which they are chartered, and the students they serve.

A public charter school is a publicly funded school that is typically governed by a group or organization under a contract or charter that exempts it from selected state or local rules and regulations.¹ These schools differ from one another in terms of their origins, the authority under which they are chartered, and the students they serve. This indicator profiles some of the differences among charter schools that served 4th-graders in 2003 and compares them with conventional public schools that year.

In 2003, the majority of charter school students (70 percent) attended newly created charter schools, while approximately one-third (30 percent) attended pre-existing public or private schools converted into charter schools (see table 28-1). Charter schools obtained charters from one of several entities: school districts, which served 51 percent of charter school students in 2003; state boards of education, which served 28 percent; postsecondary institutions, which served 16 percent; or state-chartering agencies, which served 6 percent.

Schools chartered by different entities varied in terms of the regions of the country in which they were located and in terms of the communities they served. For example, schools chartered by a school district tended to serve students in the Southeast and West, and in central cities and urban fringe/large towns (see table 28-2). Schools chartered by a state board of education most commonly served students in central cities. Schools chartered by a state-chartering agency most commonly served students in the West, and schools chartered by postsecondary institutions served students exclusively in the Central region (especially Michigan).

Schools chartered by a state board of education or a postsecondary institution were more likely to serve Black students than conventional public schools or other types of charter schools (see table 28-3). Schools chartered by a state board of education were also more likely to serve students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch than conventional public schools. Conversely, schools chartered by a school district served a greater percentage of students not eligible for free and reduced-price lunch than conventional public schools.

¹Public charter schools are publicly funded schools that, in accordance with an enabling statute, have been granted a charter exempting them from selected state or local rules and regulations. A public charter school may be a newly created school, or it may previously have been a public or private school. In return for public funding and autonomy, the charter school must meet accountability standards. A school’s charter is reviewed (typically every 3 to 5 years) and can be revoked if guidelines on curriculum and management are not followed or the standards are not met. (back to text)