About Charters

What is a Charter School?

Charter schools are state funded, free public schools that have the flexibility to adapt to the educational needs of individual students. 

The purpose of charter schools is to:

1. Improve student learning

2. Increase the choice of learning opportunities within the public school system

3. Create new teaching opportunities that will attract new teachers to the public school system

4. Establish new forms of accountability for public schools

5. Encourage innovative and different learning methods

Charter Schools were authorized by the Texas Legislature in 1995 to provide an alternative to traditional public schools.

In Texas, there are approximately 120,000 students across the state that attend charter schools. Enrollment in Texas charter schools has increased. This year there are over 106,000 students on charter school waiting lists across the state.