About Charter Schools

NJ Charter School Fact Sheet.

Charter schools are:

• Free. They cannot charge tuition.
• Open-enrollment. They are open to all students on a space-available basis with preference being given to students from the charter school's district or region of residence.
• Public schools.
  

A charter school operates under a charter granted by the Commissioner of Education and is independent of the local school district's board of education. It is managed by a board of trustees.

The state's charter school law was passed to give parents choices for their children's education. The law is intended to:

• Improve student learning and achievement;
• Increase the availability of choice to parents and students when selecting a learning environment;
• Encourage the use of different and innovative learning methods;
• Establish a new system of accountability for schools;
• Make the school the unit for educational improvement;
• Establish new professional opportunities for teachers.

Founders of a charter school can be teaching staff members, parents with children attending schools of the district or a combination of both, as well as institutions of higher education or a private entity located within the state in conjunction with teaching staff members and parents.

Current Statistics

• As of September 2012, there are 86 approved charter schools currently operating in New Jersey.
  
  
• As of September 2012, there are over 30,000 students enrolled in public charter schools across the state.