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General Statistics |
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Number of Schools Allowed |
Unlimited |
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Number of Charters Operating (As of Fall 2001) |
77 |
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Approval Process |
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Eligible Chartering Authorities |
Local school boards; two or more local boards may grant regional charters |
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Eligible Applicants |
Individuals, parents, teachers, nonsectarian institutions of higher education, museums, nonsectarian corporation not-for-profits, corporations, associations, or any combination thereof |
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Types of Charter Schools |
Converted public, new starts |
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Appeals Process |
Applications denied by the local school board may be appealed to the state appeals board. |
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Formal Evidence of Local Support Required |
A majority of teachers and majority of school's parents must support for conversions; all charter applications must demonstrate local support. |
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Recipient of Charter |
Charter school governing body |
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Term of Initial Charter |
Up to 5 years |
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Operations |
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Automatic Waiver from Most State and District Education Laws, Regulations, and Policies |
Yes |
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Legal Autonomy |
Yes, but autonomy may depend on the district |
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Governance |
Board of trustees, to be established according to terms in the charter; no member of a local school board may serve on the board |
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Charter School Governing Body Subject to Open Meeting Laws |
Yes |
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Charter School May be Managed or Operated by a For-Profit Organization |
Charters may not be granted directly to for-profit organizations, but the schools may be managed by them |
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Transportation for Students |
Transportation for in-district charter students is provided in the same manner as for other public school students in the district; transportation for non-district charter students is provided in the same manner as for non-public school students. If a district does not provide the required transportation, the Department of Education shall deduct the expenses from the district and pay it to the charter school. |
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Facilities Assistance |
None |
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Technical Assistance |
Not addressed in law, but provided by Department of Education as well as non-governmental entities |
| Reporting Requirements |
Annual reports to the local school board and state secretary of education. Every five years the secretary of education must commission an evaluation by an independent consultant for the governor, secretary and general assembly, including recommendations for continuation, modification, expansion or termination of the program |
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Funding |
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Amount |
Funding follows students, based on average district per-pupil budgeted expenditure of the previous year (depending on the district, charter funding will be 70%-82% of district's per-pupil revenue); for regional charters and non-resident students, funds come from the district of student's residence; charters receive additional funding for special needs students, or may request the intermediate unit to assist in providing special-needs services at the same cost as provided to district schools. Estimated portion is about $5,000 - $5,900. |
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Path |
Funds pass through district to school |
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Fiscal Autonomy |
Yes |
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Start-up Funds |
Federal funds available; no state funding |
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Teachers |
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Collective Bargaining / District Work Rules |
Teachers may negotiate as a separate unit with governing board |
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Certification |
At least 75% must be certified |
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Leave of Absence from District |
Up to 5 years |
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Retirement Benefits |
Charter schools must participate in the state’s retirement system |
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Students |
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Eligible Students |
All students in state |
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Preference for Enrollment |
District residents, children of employees, and siblings |
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Enrollment Requirements |
Charter school may limit enrollment to a particular grade level or area of concentration and may set reasonable criteria to evaluate prospective students, consistent with the charter |
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Selection Method (in case of over-enrollment) |
Lottery/random process |
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At-Risk Provisions |
None |
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Accountability |
All charter schools shall participate in the Pennsylvania state assessment system. Every year, the school must provide results of tests including criterion-referenced tests, curriculum-based assessments, ecological life skills assessments and other equivalent measures. |
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Other Features |
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Funding Cushion |
The state will compensate districts for non-public school students who enroll in charters (i.e. become public school students) for the first year of the student's attendance. A state grant program will allow districts to apply for "temporary transitional funding" to address the "budgetary impact relating to any student attending a charter school" (not available to conversion charters). |
