States and districts must learn which regulations need to be changed to grant maximum freedom. In most states, a charter school must submit a budget as part of its petition. Within these parameters, charter schools are allowed to spend their resources as needed. In Alaska and Georgia, for example, more limited provisions on expenditures exist. Charter schools need to be free to allocate resources to best serve their school and community.
Most states have audit provisions written into their statutes.
Giving charter schools budgetary freedom is less problematic with these yearly audits. Charter schools should be limited in their ability to spend resources. Some control is needed to ensure that public funds are not being used negligently through the term of the schools charter. Given the need to hold charter schools accountable for performance, standards and assessments are of prime importance to districts, other sponsors and charter schools. Standards set targets for performance, and assessments are intended to measure results.