There are currently 736 public charter schools operating in Texas, according to figures from the Texas Education Agency. The Texas Legislature passed a law authorizing the establishment of public charter schools in 1995. One year later, in the fall of 1996, the first charter schools opened their doors. Charter schools across the state educate children from pre-K to 12th grade, and some schools specialize in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM; fine arts; environmental sciences; and more. In order to find out more about charter schools, Community Impact Newspaper reached out to its readers to gather questions about Texas’ charter schools. Starlee Coleman, chief executive officer for the Texas Charter School Association, helped answer some of the most common questions that were submitted. Correction: It was originally reported that 736 public or private charter schools operate in Texas. There are no private charter schools operating across the state.