Growing interest in charter schools as an alternative to traditional public education

Charter schools are state-funded public schools that must meet state requirements but also have some flexibility in coursework, school hours and structure, and each has a specialty of study. There are five charter schools in Katy—Trinity Charter School, Calvin Nelms, Harmony Science Academy, Leadership Academy and Aristoi Classical Academy.

"Charter schools give parents an opportunity for choice in education, a [tuition free] alternative to public education," said Julie Norton, spokeswoman for Harmony Public Schools, which enroll 9,952 students in grades kindergarten through 12th in the Greater Houston area at their 14 schools. "A smaller school setting is very desirable for a lot

of parents."

Schooling alternative

In 1995, the Texas legislature approved funding for charter schools. Since then, hundreds have sprouted throughout the state, offering an alternative to traditional public schools. The schools are tuition-free, and enrollment is based on a lottery. As with traditional public schools, there are no special testing requirements to enroll.

"Charter schools are a relatively new form of public schools," said Debbie Ratcliffe, spokeswoman with the Texas Education Agency.

Every charter school has its own special program, she said. Some of the specialties include science and math, classics, and others focus on drop-out recovery programs.

Charter schools must apply with the state and maintain a nonprofit status. If approved, the schools have a five–10 year contract with the state. If the school's financials and performance fail to meet certain requirements, it will not be awarded another contract.

A state commissioner approves or denies the charters rather than the Texas Board of Education, although the board has the authority to deny the charter.

The system results in tougher accountability, Dunn said.

As with all public schools in Texas, students at charter schools must pass the STAAR test but they have flexibility on how they deliver it, he said.

Schools can select their hours, and several offer tutoring or extra work for accelerated students on Saturdays. They also have more power over teacher contracts, with the ability to hire teachers on an at-will basis—which means the teacher has no contract and can be let go for poor performance.

Katy area schools

Aristoi Classical Academy charter school in Katy, which has been educating area students for 15 years, received a state grant to expand its school last year, adding 125 students for the 2013–14 school year. The school, which now enrolls 440 students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade, focuses on teaching students history, heritage and classical literature while emphasizing patriotism. Latin is taught for fourth through eighth grades. The school plans to add a ninth grade in the fall.

"We're really excited about the growth at our school," said Heidi Manna, Aristoi's spokeswoman. "We are trying to grow to accommodate more students. We really believe everyone deserves a good education. We focus on character. We want students to contribute and be leaders in their community."

Harmony Science Academy, with its science and technology focus, offers clubs in robotics, science and LEGOs. It also encourages, and sometimes requires, participation in science fairs and robotics competitions. But it also offers a variety of more traditional extracurricular activities, including drama and choir. Sixth through 10th graders can participate in basketball, soccer, volleyball, tennis and cross country. In fact, the campus won the state championship among other charter schools in JV basketball in February.

Some charter schools, like Harmony, require 100 hours or more of community service for students to graduate.

Funding

Charter schools receive state funding but do not benefit from local tax revenue or facilities funding, like traditional public schools do, Dunn said. Consequently, charter schools receive $1,500 less per year per student on average than traditional public schools, he said.

Many charter schools seek a variety of grants and raise private funds to supplement their budgets or to pay for additional supplies and buildings. Many charters simply do without extras such as gyms or science labs and have minimal libraries, Dunn said.

That funding disparity is at the center of a lawsuit, currently in progress by The Texas Charter Schools Association against

the state.

"We are working with the legislature to increase the number of charter schools and add facilities funding so existing schools can grow to meet the demand," Dunn said.