Charter School Information

Charter schools are independently run public schools that provide a free elementary and/or secondary education to students under a specific charter granted by a state, there are 45 states and the District of Columbia have legislation allowing for charter schools and there are nine charter schools located on military installations in the United States.

• Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter School: Flightline Upper Academy, Little Rock Air Force Base (AFB), Arkansas;
• Sonoran Science Academy Davis-Monthan, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona;
• Manzanita Public Charter School, Vandenberg AFB, California;
• Wheatland Charter Academy, Beale AFB, California;
• Sigsbee Charter School, Naval Air Station Key West, Florida;
• LEARN 6 North Chicago, Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois; LEARN D.C. is part of the LEARN Charter School Network and is located in Washington D.C. on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB). LEARN D.C. - LEARN Charter School Network
• Belle Chasse Academy, Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Station New Orleans, Louisiana;
• Imagine Andrews Public Charter School, Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Facility, Maryland.

As a public school, charter schools do not charge tuition. Charters are open to any eligible student and are required to conduct a lottery if applications exceed capacity.

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NACPS) reports that there were 361 charter schools considered virtual or virtual and hybrid (online and face-to-face) in 2009-10 and 451 charters with extended learning time in 2008-09. Some charter schools also require parent contracts, pay teachers in part on performance, and choose their own curriculums based upon the focus and/or goals of the charter.

Government Accountability Office Report on Charter Schools

In response to a directive in a House Appropriations Committee report, GAO examined: (1) the characteristics and origins of charter schools on military installations, and (2) the challenges charter schools on military installations have faced in starting up and continuing their operations. To conduct this review, GAO interviewed officials in the eight charter schools on domestic military bases and one school being planned; visited two schools; interviewed Education and DOD officials; and reviewed relevant federal and state laws, federal regulations and guidance, and school, federal agency, and other documents.

The report examined the eight charter schools listed above and cited several challenges to starting up and operating a charter school on military bases, such as using enrollment preferences for military-connected students, providing civilian access to schools, and obtaining facilities. To view all the findings, recommendations, and the full report, go to the website.

If you are interested in information and resources about charter schools on military installations, please contact us for more information.

Resources

• DoD Charter School Standards

  The attached document responds to 2013 GAO Report, which recommended that "the Secretary of Defense develop and set standards for operating charter schools on military bases and require the appropriate military services to create guidance based on those standards. This Planning Guide, specifically, identifies 5 standards for establishing and operating a charter school on a military installation.

• National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

  The Alliance provides assistance to state charter school associations and resource centers, develops and advocates for improved public policies, and serves as the united voice for this large and diverse movement.

• National Association of Charter School Authorizers

  The Association is devoted exclusively to improving public education by improving the policies and practices of the organizations responsible for authorizing charter schools.

• Charter Schools Program, U.S. Department of Education

  his program provides funding to create new high-quality public charter schools, as well to disseminate information about ones with a proven track record.

• The Evaluation of Charter School Impacts: Final Report

  This evaluation examines students in charter middle schools and is the first large-scale randomized trial of the effectiveness of charter schools in varied types of communities and states.

• Charter School Toolkit 
  The U.S. Department of Education's publication, Charter Schools Military-Connected Families A Toolkit, provides the framework, references, tips, and resources needed by developers of charter schools for military families to understand the critical issues surrounding the charter school option; to see how similar challenges have been met by others; to locate viable sources of support; and to find the means necessary to develop high-quality, military-connected charter schools.