Charter School Advantage

Why Charter Schools? Charter schools are a different kind of public school—the kind that is less restrained and more likely to be innovative.

What are charter schools

Charter schools are tuition-free, publicly funded schools with many of the same requirements of traditional public schools. Not only do charter schools offer an alternative to traditional public schools, they often implement a unique focus and alternative learning styles. Charter schools are independently managed, operating under a charter, or an agreement between the school board and the sponsor. Charter schools improve education by giving parents more choices and offering students more creative approaches to learning. Charter schools have the freedom to innovate, but are held to high standards of performance. At OCCS, we sponsor 48 charter schools, all of which are held accountable by our organization and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.

Similarities:

As public schools, charter schools are similar to traditional district schools in many areas critical to the education of students. For instance, they are:

40,000

Students served by OCCS

Innovation

Due to heightened accountability, charter schools may innovate in the following ways:

  • Implementing a Unique Mission, Focus or Curriculum
  • Lengthening the School Day/School Year
  • Selecting, Retaining, & Rewarding Teachers
  • Special Use of Technology

Enrollment Growth

  • Over the 2023-2024 school year, charter schools nationwide added more than 80,000 new students. This consistent growth trend contrasts with a steady decline in district public school enrollment.
  • In the past five years, charter schools gained nearly 400,000 students, while district public schools lost about 1.8 million students, highlighting the increasing demand for alternative public education options.

Performance Relative to Population Trends

  • In 84% of states, charter school enrollment growth has outpaced school-aged population growth, showing that charter schools are a preferred choice among many families seeking alternatives to traditional public education.

Choice

  • The growth in charter school enrollment underscores the importance of choice and opportunity for families. Families actively choose charter schools to meet their children’s needs better, highlighting the role of charter schools in providing innovative, responsive education.

In addition, they are required to abide by state and federal laws and regulations, in the areas of:

As A Matter of Fact:

Charter schools are neither pro-union nor anti-union: They are pro-teacher and pro-student.