Charter School FAQs

Charter schools are independently-operated public schools that have the freedom to design classrooms that meet their students’ needs. All charter schools operate under a contract with a charter school authorizer – usually a nonprofit organization, government agency, or university – that holds them accountable to the high standards outlined in their “charter.”

Yes, every single charter school in the state of Michigan is a tuition-free, public entity with nonprofit status.

Many charter schools work with external for-profit organizations, such as management companies and other service providers, to operate their schools – just like traditional public schools who work with vendors to provide things like school lunches, books, and accounting services. However, these partnerships in no way affect the nonprofit status of any charter school.

Charter schools have the flexibility and autonomy to differentiate their curriculum, facilities and school focus. Some may focus on college prep, Montessori curriculum, fine arts and more. Some charter schools require uniforms, others have longer school days, and some teach their entire curriculum in two languages. The possibilities are endless, but charter schools aim to provide a range of options so that parents can choose the school that best fits their child.

Yes, as public schools, charters are held to the exact same state-mandated academic standards and participate in the same state testing.

Yes, charter schools regularly meet and exceed traditional public school performance standards, earning top rankings in annual U.S. News & World Reports.

• U.S. News rankings: Once again, top open-enrollment schools in Detroit are all charter schools
• U.S. News rankings: The top elementary and middle schools in Detroit are all charter schools