Lack of start-up funds was the most frequently cited difficulty almost six out of 10 charter schools reported it as difficult or very difficult. Inadequate operating funds was the second most commonly reported difficulty. Newly created charter schools are more likely to cite resource limitations as a major difficulty than preexisting charter schools. Inadequate facilities and lack of planning time also posed more serious difficulties for newly created schools than for preexisting schools. Political resistance and regulations caused implementation problems for some schools.
Some charter schools struggle to overcome internal conflicts.
One in five charter schools cited internal conflicts of various forms as posing serious difficulties. Newly created schools were more likely to cite such issues than preexisting schools. A small percentage of preexisting public schools cite difficulties with union relationships. About 10 percent of charter schools indicated that they had difficult or very difficult relationships concerning teacher unions or collective bargaining agreements. Some challenges facing the newer generation of charter schools may be less difficult.