Charter schools are secular, tuition-free public schools. A school that fails to comply with the terms of its charter may have its charter revoked. In addition, charter schools are freed from most of the regulations governing traditional public schools.
Charter schools control their own curriculum, staffing, internal organization and budget.
In exchange for this freedom, they must meet the highest academic standards. Most charter schools across the country are small. More than 60 percent enrolled fewer than 200 students, while 16 percent of regular public schools had fewer than 200 students. Like other public schools, charter schools must be open to every child regardless of race, religion, disability or academic ability. Approximately 500,000 students are enrolled in some 2,000 charter schools nationwide.