Fact: A charter school is an independent public school organized as a
non-profit organization, funded on a per-pupil basis from the state school
aid fund.
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Fact: Charter schools have to follow all of the same regulations as
traditional public schools. They file the same reports and must meet all of
the same requirements of the Michigan Department of Education, as do the
traditional schools. In fact, charter schools have an additional layer of
accountability, in that they must also report to their chartering agent
(usually a state university) and comply with those additional requirements
as well.
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Fact: Not only must a charter school report to both the state Department of
Education and it's chartering agent, charter schools also have a local Board
of Directors that hold regular public meetings with the responsibility to
ensure the proper operation of the academy.
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Fact: Charter schools are bound by the same requirements and regulations as
public schools. Charter school teachers must have the proper certification;
charter school students take the MEAP tests; and they are subject to the
Freedom of Information Act, and the Open Meeting Act.
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Fact: Charter schools are public schools supported by state aid. The amount
of state aid received by the charter school is comparable to the amount
received by the local public school. Charter schools are not allowed to pass
mileages. As a result, they are not able to "bond" for their school
facilities. Facilities must be paid through the general fund. Charter
schools may not charge tuition.
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