ABSTRACT
With so much publicity around the charter movement, and with so much variability between and among charter laws and the schools they enable, it is difficult to characterize charter schools in simple or consistent terms. It's often difficult to even answer a simple question about charter schools—for example, what entity is authorized to grant charters—because the answer varies from state to state. Charter schools can elect to develop their own curricula and educational programs to reflect their unique visions or to purchase ready-made curricula that reflect a desired educational approach. Charter schools generally receive a fixed per-pupil dollar amount from the state that is usually less than what is budgeted for perpupil expenditures (PPEs) at traditional public schools. Charter schools that actively seek external funding—including foundation grants, corporate support, and in-kind donations of facilities, services, or infrastructure—are different from schools that choose not to.
