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Kindergarten
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Sixth Grade |
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A
Tuition Free Public School |
| Manzanita's FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions about Charter Schools and
Dual-immersion Programs
What is a charter school? : A charter
school is a public school which is usually created by a founding group that can
include educators, parents and community members. It is usually sponsored by a
local school board or county board of education. A charter school is generally
exempt from most laws governing school districts and therefore increases the
opportunities and educational choices available to the community. The school
must participate in and be held accountable to the California State Standards as
measured by the STAR test. The state legislature expressed its intent that
charter schools are a method to accomplish the following:
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Improve pupil learning. |
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Increase learning
opportunities for all pupils, with special emphasis on expanded learning
experiences for pupils identified as academically low achieving. |
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3. |
Encourage the use of different
and innovative teaching methods. |
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Create new professional
opportunities for teachers, including the opportunity to be responsible for
the learning program at the school site. |
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5. |
Provide parents and students
with expanded educational opportunities within the public school system
without the constraints of traditional rules and structure. |
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6. |
Provide schools a way to shift
from a rule-based to a performance-based system of accountability. |
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Provide competition within the
public school system to stimulate improvements in all public schools. |
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Who may approve a charter school petition? :
Under California law, it is the local school district governing board that
serves as the primary authorizer. The law specifies that the chartering
authority should be guided by legislative intent, which encourages the
establishment of charter schools; there is a presumption that charter petitions
meeting the requirements of law will be approved.
How is a charter school governed? : The
charter school forms its own school board of trustees to oversee the practices
of the school and must ensure the involvement of parents and guardians but can
include teachers or concerned citizens.
How is a charter school funded? : The
basis for funding comes from the ADA (Average Daily Attendance) provided by the
state to the local school district (LEA) and apportioned to the school based on
how many children are enrolled. Supplemental funding can come from fundraising
and/or grants.
How are facilities acquired?: Under the
provisions of Proposition 39, school districts must provide facilities to their
charter schools which project an ADA of at least 80 students. And those
facilities must be “reasonably equivalent” to those used by non-charter students
within the district.
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