Charter schools are elementary or secondary schools in the United States that receive public money but have been freed from some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in order to foster innovation and advance educational goals. Charter schools were created to provide innovative curriculum and empower parents to have a greater choice in their child’s education by custom-designing unique educational programs to increase their child’s achievement, and meet the specific needs of students.
Charter schools receive public funds from the sending school districts of the children who choose to attend. There is no fee or tuition for families. Pennsylvania school districts are required to pay 75% of the funds they collect through taxes, state and federal funding to a charter school for each student who chooses to enroll. In Pennsylvania that equals to approximately $3,000 less per child that a charter school spends on educating a student than the sending school district.
Brick and mortar charter schools struggle with what has been described in the educational community as the “triple whammy” when it comes to building or remodeling a physical school building. Charter schools cannot float a bond to build a school and often have limited start up funds. Instead, charter schools must raise funds within the community to provide the physical plant needed to support their curriculum and vision.
For more information visit the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools at http://pacharters.org/why-charters/ .