A charter school is a public school that operates under an independent contract, or “charter,” with an authorizing agency such as the local school district or the state board of education. The charter provides the school with operational autonomy over its curriculum, staff, and budget. It also holds the school accountable to certain academic, financial, and operational standards set by an authorizer via a performance contract. If a charter school does not meet these standards, the authorizer can revoke the contract and close the school.
While some states allow for-profit charter schools, all Louisiana charters are publicly funded and run by non-profit groups called Charter Management Organizations (“CMOs”). Each CMO has its own independent, governing non-profit board. All charters in Louisiana must be authorized by either the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (“BESE”) or the local school district. Louisiana has several different types of charter schools depending on the authorizing entity and the structure of the relationship between the CMO and the charter authorizer. The entity directly responsible for providing special education services may differ depending on the type of charter school.