INSIDE INFORMATION Understanding charter schools Charter schools are tuition-free public schools that were created by the Texas Legislature in 1995 to foster innovation and allow for more choices in the state’s public school system. Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools are mostly funded by the state and receive no local revenue, such as property taxes.
BY CHLOE YOUNG
2023 EDUCATION EDITION
The process for admission to charter schools depends on whether there is space available at the school.
In the Greater Austin area, about 10% of all students attend charter schools.
Admissions
Teacher certification process
Enrollment by metro
While independent school districts require all teachers to have a bachelor’s degree and state certi cation, the requirements for open-enrollment charter schools depend on the school.
Austin
Dallas-Fort Worth
Future students or parents must ll out an application with basic identifying information.
36,586 students
115,319 students
All charter school teachers must have a bachelor’s degree.
Preference in the lottery may be given to students with a sibling already admitted to or attending the school or students whose parent works on sta . If a school has more applicants than positions available, all open- enrollment charter schools are required to utilize a random lottery or admit students based on application submission order. Charter schools are open to all students, but barriers to entry can include living outside school boundaries, or having a criminal or disciplinary history.
10% of all students
8.1% of all students
Comparing schools
Charter school teachers only have to be state certi ed if they teach special or bilingual education.
Charter schools serve about 7% of all public school students in Texas. Charter schools and independent school districts have similarities and di erences in their required rules and regulations. Key Number of students served Number of campuses ISDs Charter schools 5.43M students Nearly 300,000 students 8,973 schools 896 schools
Houston
San Antonio
The governing body of a charter school determines the licensing requirements for teachers.
85,536 students
48,826 students
6.3% of all students
10.8% of all students
Approximately 2/3 of charter school teachers are certi ed.
While charter schools receive more funding from the state overall than independent school districts, charter schools receive less public funding since they are not funded locally through taxes.
Funding
Disadvantaged student populations
ISDs
Charter schools
The similarities
The differences
• Flexibility in designing and running charter schools • Specialized programs and models • Teacher certi cation requirements
• State curriculum standards and exams • Graduation requirements • Special education and bilingual
Comparative to their student populations, charter schools serve a higher percentage of minority and economically disadvantaged students than independent school districts, while independent school districts serve a higher percentage of special education students.
Public charter schools
Independent school districts $11,958* per student Local funding: $7,611 per student State funding: $4,347 per student
$10,992 per student Local funding: none State funding: $10,992 per student
education requirements • Financial and academic accountability
African American students
Hispanic students
Economically disadvantaged students
Special education
Limited English pro ciency
*TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS GET MULTIPLE ALLOTMENTS BEYOND THE BASIC PER PUPIL FUNDING. THESE NUMBERS ARE CALCULATED BASED ON AVERAGE OVERALL FUNDING FROM STATE AND LOCAL SOURCES.
SOURCES: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY, TEXAS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
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NORTH NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • AUGUST 2023
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