Key Differences Between Charter Schools And Public Schools

How are charter schools financed?

Introduction

Currently, there are more than 6,500 charter schools serving more than 2.5 million children across the country (Moore, 2014). Charter schools are public schools that parents may pick for their children. Charter schools have some freedom from the local school districts, but they are still accountable for state standardized testing. Just like public schools, charter schools are tuition free. The funding they receive is from the local, state, and federal level. Charter schools receive less funding than public schools and this has been a controversial issue since the openings of charters.

What is a charter school? Charter schools are public schools that operate under a contract, or charter. All aspects are defined under the charter, even how the students will be assessed. All students must participate in statewide standardized assessments. One of the key differences between charter schools and traditional public schools is the regulatory freedom and autonomy from state and local rules (in terms of staffing, curriculum choices, and budget management) they receive in exchange for having their charter reviewed and renewed (or revoked) by the authorizing agency every few years (O’Brian, 2012).

Funding

Charter schools can also receive grants or subsidies from parent groups, education foundations, and other philanthropies (Moore, 2014). Just like public schools, charter schools receive most of their funds through the state, but the federal government does contribute some. Charters schools received $216 million from Congress for fiscal year 2009, when it received $256 million for fiscal year 2010 and continues to increase yearly (O’Brian,