Charter Basics

Charter Basics

CHARTER SCHOOL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS A CHARTER SCHOOL?
Charter schools are public schools created through a businesslike contract or "charter" between the charter governance board and the sponsoring school board. Charter schools have freedom from most state rules and regulations in exchange for greater accountability for results. Charter schools foster an environment for innovation and parental choice, and fulfill a specific local need in education. They can exist as living laboratories that influence the larger public school system. Their leaders may experiment with different instructional theories, site-based management techniques, and other innovations. They learn, sometimes by trial and error, what works best for their student population. Regular schools can observe and learn from what happens in the charter school and make similar improvements. Through this process, the entire public school system is continually challenged to improve itself.

WHY DO WE WANT A CHARTER SCHOOL?
The parents initiating Quaking Aspen Field School (QAFS) are passionate about education, children, and the community, and feel that educational choice will benefit everyone. A charter school gives us the freedom to teach our children with an alternative curriculum, teaching methodology, and classroom structure.

WHO CAN ATTEND A CHARTER SCHOOL?
Any child in the district can attend a charter school. There is no entrance exam, no tuition, no pre-requisites. In addition, any child from another district can open-enroll into the charter school.

HOW IS A CHARTER SCHOOL FUNDED?
A charter school is funded by education tax dollars, just like any public school. Our school district receives revenue from the state and from local property taxes, which currently amounts to approximately $17,000 per student. The charter school negotiates a cost per student rate with the district, which then becomes the operating income for the charter school. The difference between what the school...

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