Charter School Frequently Asked Questions

A: A charter school is a public school that provides instruction in any combination of grades, kindergarten through grade twelve. Parents, teachers, or community members may initiate a charter petition, which is typically presented to and approved by a local school district governing board. California Education Code (EC) also allows, under certain circumstances, for county boards of education and the State Board of Education to be charter authorizing entities.

Specific goals and operating procedures for a charter school are detailed in the agreement between the charter authorizing entity and the charter developer. A charter school is exempted from many of the statutes and regulations that apply to school districts. Students enroll in charter schools on a voluntary basis.

A: Yes. Charter schools are under the jurisdiction of the Public School System, as specified in EC Section 47615.

A: Yes, charter schools are required to admit all students who apply, space permitting.  If a charter school receives more students than it has spots available, it is required by law to hold a lottery to determine which students will have the opportunity to attend. Many charter schools have waitlists and may admit more students from the waitlist as spots become available.

A: No. EC Section 47605(d) prohibits a charter school from charging tuition. It may charge fees for optional programs and activities that are recreational and outside of regular school programs.

A: No. A school may not require parents or guardians to volunteer as a condition of enrollment.

A:  As with all students in public school, charter school pupils are required to participate in all statewide assessments that are applicable to pupils in non-charter public schools. Parents have the right to waive, under specified conditions, state testing requirements for the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System. A charter school cannot disregard or take away this parental right. Read more about the CAASPP system on the CDE website.

A: Maybe. EC Section 47605(b)(5)(A)(ii) requires that each charter for a school serving high school students, include a description of procedures the school will use to notify parents about course transferability to other public high schools as well as about the eligibility of courses to meet college entrance requirements. A school district governing board may establish criteria for accepting course credits earned at another school and may disallow credits where it deems it appropriate to do so.

It is important that the charter school be WASC accredited and courses A-G approved in order to prevent any credits being lost if transferring high schools.

• Check school’s accreditation on the WASC Directory online.
• Check school’s A-G course approval on the CSU/UC’s A-G site.

A: There are a number of charter schools and sites in Riverside County. For detailed information about these schools, visit the Riverside County Charter Schools Directory.

A:  Visit the Map of Riverside County Charter Schools to find a school in your area.

A:  Yes. As schools of choice, all charter schools are open to any student who wants to apply, regardless of where he or she lives, space permitting.  

A:  Academic performance scores are listed on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) website. You can also visit the California School Dashboard which provides parents and educators with meaningful information on school progress so they can participate in decisions to improve student learning. You will find a direct link to each charter school’s California School Dashboard page by visiting the Riverside County Charter School Directory and clicking on the “School Data” link for any charter school in the county.

A: The District or County that approves the school oversees the school or “authorizes” it. The school’s leadership and governing board is responsible for all decisions pertaining to the school. On more serious matters, the authorizer and even the county can intervene. For a comprehensive list of charter schools and their authorizers, please visit the Riverside County Charter Schools Directory.

A: No. Each school makes decisions about its programs, including courses offered, curriculum, assessments, daily schedules, extracurricular activities and more.  Please address any questions regarding programs to the charter school. For school contact information, including a school’s website, please visit the Riverside County Charter Schools Directory.

A: Most concerns can be resolved by conferencing with school personnel, such as a teacher or administrator. If you do not get a response, or you feel you are not receiving the appropriate response, refer to the school’s governing board policies for guidance.  Many schools post these documents on their Web sites. For help finding a charter school’s website, please visit the Riverside County Charter Schools Directory.

For complaints which violate school, school district or county of education policy or for those that a state or federal law or regulation has been violated, please refer to the Complaint Procedures link for the California Department of Education for further guidance.

A:  The charter school board follows all applicable state laws, but is able to make flexible decisions about personnel and charter school management. This includes hiring and termination, placement, staff development and more. If you have a question about staff at a charter school, please contact the administration at the school site. For school contact information, including a school’s website, please visit the Riverside County Charter Schools Directory.

A: In accordance with all applicable state laws, the charter school board has the authority to make decisions about the use of school funds. If you have a question about funding at a charter school, please contact a school site administrator. For school contact information, including a school’s website, please visit the Riverside County Charter Schools Directory.