According to the January, 2010 edition of U.S. News and World Report magazine, California leads the nation with the most number of Charter Schools, 809 to be exact. The next closest state is Arizona, with 482. 

A Charter School is a school that is financed by the public but operated independently.  Education at charter schools are free to all students.  So, how exactly is a charter school different than a public school?

1) Charter schools are attended by choice; there are no districts.

2) Charter schools are financed by the public, but are not held to the same rules and regulations as many public schools.

3) Each school must have a ”charter” which defines accountability for meeting and maintaining certain standards of education, i.e. a mission statement it is held to and judged by to stay open.

4) Many times the charter school is started by activists, parents and administrators who want an alternative to the neighborhood public school.

5) Charter schools frequently specialize in a certain field, such as the arts, sciences or math.

For a list of local charter schools in our area visit the following link:  http://www.vcoe.org/Districts/CharterSchoolsinVenturaCounty/tabid/2053/Default.aspx