Charter schools are independent public schools operated by a non-profit organization. They hire teachers, design academic programs, and control their finances. They have a board of directors that makes decisions for the school. Some charter schools choose to hire a management company to support school functions.

What must a Charter School do?

  • Ensure student health and safety is top priority.
  • Provide a curriculum that meets the Florida Standards.
  • Hire certified teachers.
  • Assess students in accordance with Florida’s accountability assessments.
  • Safeguard taxpayer funding and exercise fiscal responsibility.

Charter School FAQ

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Contacts

PCPS Office of Charter Schools
1915 S. Floral Ave
Bartow, FL 33830
863-534-0625

Do you have specific school questions? Please call the school directly.

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Apply to Attend a Charter School

Charter schools are open to all students in Florida, pending seat availability. Each charter school has its own application and enrollment process that is approved by its governing board. You must contact the school directly to find out about a specific school’s process.

The charter school shall enroll an eligible student who submits a timely enrollment application unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or building. In such cases, all applicants shall have an equal chance of admittance through a random selection process or lottery.

The questions below can be used to assist parents/guardians in selecting a school for their children. Responses to these questions, along with a school visit, can be helpful in the selection process.

  1. Does the school meet my family’s basic needs?
  2. What separates this school from others?
  3. How long is the school day/year?
  4. Am I comfortable with the physical environment?
  5. How are behavior problems handled?
  6. What role do parents/guardians play at the school?
  7. What does the school expect from every student?
  8. How does the school support children with different learning styles and needs?
  9. How are teachers supported and held to a high standard?
  10. How is the school performing and what are their goals?

Charter School Parents

Parents should direct complaints, concerns, and requests in the following order:

  • To the teacher or other staff member most directly involved with the issue.
  • To the principal/director of the charter school.
  • To the school/parent liaison of the charter school.
  • To the management representative or the governing board that holds the charter for the school.

If efforts to resolve the issue with the school representatives fail, parents should then contact the Office of Charter Schools for further information. It is necessary to note that the School District has no jurisdiction over the day-to-day operations of a charter school nor is the district responsible for the employment of administrators, faculty and/or staff.

Contacting Your Charter School Board

A charter school’s non-profit Board of Directors is responsible for ultimate school oversight, for responding to parent/guardian concerns, and for the success of their school.

Florida Statutes 1002.33(9)(p)2 requires each school’s Board of Directors to appoint a Parent Representative to facilitate parent involvement, provide access to information, assist parents and others with questions and concerns, and resolve disputes. The representative must reside in the school district, and may be a governing board member, a charter school employee, or an individual contracted to represent the governing board.

Each charter school has a published grievance process on the website or in the Parent/Student Handbook. Parents/guardians must be aware of the process to follow to report a concern regarding their child or other matters at the school.

Open a Charter School

Charter schools may be started by an individual or group of parents, community leaders, teachers, businesses, municipalities, community colleges, or other legal entities organized under the state’s laws.

  • Under s.1002.33, F.S., the district school board in which the charter school is located is the sponsor or authorizer. District staff provides support and monitors compliance of schools.
  • In Polk County, the School Board of Polk County is authorized to sponsor charter schools.
  • It is the responsibility of the charter school applicants to request technical assistance from the Florida Department of Education.
  • Acceptance of an application for review does not imply or ensure approval of the application.
  • Approval of an application does not authorize the operation of the charter school. Approval of an application authorizes the parties to negotiate a contract to operate the school.

Application Steps

Charter School Resources

Charter School State Statutes