What are Charter Schools?
Charter schools are public schools established by contract with sponsors. They are allowed in many states and the District of Columbia, and charter schools are exempt from many laws and regulations. They often promote a specific curriculum and learning style and are operated by parents, teachers and other interested community members.
State law authorizes charter schools in 12 school districts: Broken Arrow, Edmond, Jenks, Midwest City/Del City, Moore, Mustang, Oklahoma City, Owasso, Putnam City, Sand Springs, Tulsa and Union Public Schools. These districts' boards of education or the area CareerTech school boards serving them may sponsor a charter school.
Additionally, a comprehensive or regional institution that is a member of The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education may sponsor a charter school only when the charter school is located in a school district that has an average daily membership of five thousand (5,000) or more and which all or part of the school district is located in a county having more than five hundred thousand (500,000) population according to the latest Federal Decennial Census. In addition, the institution shall have a teacher education program accredited by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation and have a branch campus or constituent agency physically located within the school district in which the charter school is located.
The law allows "a board of education of a public school district, public body, public or private college or university, private person, or private organization—to establish a charter school." Annually, no more than three (3) new charter schools may be established in each county.
Charter School Training Charter School Training will be held at the State Department of Education on April 24, 2012. Registration will begin at 8:15 a.m. and the sessions will be conducted in room 117 (State Board Room). To recieve the Certificate of Attendance you must be present for the entire session. Attendance sheets will be present for signing in and out. The training will conclude at 4:00 p.m. To register for training, please e-mail the name of attendees and telephone numbers or e-mail addresses to Regina.Rayburn@sde.ok.gov or Linda.Nelson@sde.ok.gov. Please limit the number of attendees to 2 per organization. |
How to get started?
Those interested in establishing a charter school first should obtain a copy of the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act (pdf). The next step is to attend the training provided by the State Department of Education. For training information, please contact (405) 521-3333. the final step is to contact the sponsor with whom you are interested in applying. At a minimum, applications must include the proposed charter school's:
• Mission statementEligible sponsors have 90 days to respond to each application. If an application is rejected, applicants may within 30 days submit a revised application, which must be answered within 30 days. If it is rejected a second time, applicants may seek mediation or binding arbitration.
• Description of organizational structure and governance
• Financial plan for the first three years/description of person responsible for finances
• Hiring policy
• Name(s) of the applicant(s)
• Facility and location description
• Description of the grades to be served
• Plan to measure instructional effectiveness
• Demonstration of support from area residents
• Documentation of charter school training
Who can attend Charter Schools?
Charter schools cannot "limit admission based on ethnicity, national origin, gender, income level, disabling condition, English proficiency, measures of achievement, aptitude, or athletic ability." They may enroll students whose legal residence is within the boundaries of the school district in which the school is located or who have transferred into the school district. Preference shall be given to resident students. If capacity is insufficient to enroll all interested, eligible students, charter schools must select students through a lottery. Students not present at the school site cannot be included in attendance counts.
How are Charter Schools funded?
Like any public school, charter schools receive state funding through the State Aid funding formula, set by law. Up to 5 percent of a school's allocation may be retained by its sponsor for administrative costs. Charter schools may receive additional funding through public aid, grants and other revenue as well as private sources, but the schools must be nonprofit. The Charter Schools Incentive Fund assists those interested in establishing charter schools. Applicants are eligible for up to $50,000 for start-up costs. Only charter schools with sponsor approval are eligible to apply.
How are Charter Schools held accountable?
Charter school contracts can be approved for no longer than five years at a time, and must include criteria by which effectiveness of the school will be measured. Sponsors must give written notice and explanation of their intent to deny requests for renewal at least 8 months prior to expiration of contracts. However, if a charter school fails to meet the standards outlined in its contract, its sponsor may give only 90 days written notice of intent to terminate.
Where can I receive assistance?
The State Department of Education is here to serve you! For technical assistance and/or additional information on the Charter Schools Incentive Fund, contact:
Oklahoma Charter Schools Information
State Department of Education
2500 North Lincoln Boulevard, Suite 210
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4599
(405) 521-3333
Oklahoma Charter Schools - print version (pdf)
| ASTEC Charter Middle School 2401 Northwest 23rd Street, Suite 3 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73107 Send all Correspondence to: CEO: Freda Deskin Phone: (405) 947-6274 Fax: (405) 947-0035 Grades: 6-8 Principal: Misty Ashford Sponsor: Oklahoma City Public Schools |
ASTEC High School 2401 Northwest 23rd Street, Suite 3 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73107 Send all Correspondence to: CEO: Freda Deskin Phone: (405) 947-6274 Fax: (405) 947-0035 Grades: 9-12 Sponsor: Oklahoma City Public Schools |
| Deborah Brown Community School 2 South Elgin East Avenue Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103-2400 Phone: (918) 425-1407 Fax: (918) 425-6693 Grades: K-5 Executive Director & Principal: Deborah Brown Sponsor: Langston University |
Discovery School of Tulsa 4821 South 72nd East Avenue Tulsa, Oklahoma 74145 Phone: (918) 960-3131 Fax: (918) 960-3130 Grades: K-8 Principal: Fevzi Simsek Executive Director: Kaan Camuz Board President: Bilal Erturk Sponsor: Langston University |
| Dove Science Academy - Oklahoma City 919 Northwest 23rd Street Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73106-5603 Phone: (405) 524-9762 Fax: (405) 524-9471 Grades: 6-12 Principal: Barbaras Aslan Executive Director: Kaan Camuz Sponsor: Oklahoma City Public Schools |
Dove Science Academy Elementary - Oklahoma City 4901 North Lincoln Boulevard Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105 Phone: (405) 605-5566 Fax: (405) 605-5578 Grades: K-5 Principal: Hasan Suzuk Executive Director: Kaan Camuz Sponsor: Oklahoma City Public Schools |
| Dove Science Academy - Tulsa 280 South Memorial Drive Tulsa, Oklahoma 74112-2202 Phone: (918) 834-3936 Fax: (918) 834-3352 Grades: 6-12 Principal: Abidin Erez Sponsor: Langston University |
Epic One on One 11120 Windmill Road Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73162 Contact Person: David Chaney Phone: (405) 749-4550 Grades: PreK-12 Graham Superintendent: Dusty Chancey Sponsor: Graham Public Schools |
| Harding Charter Prep High School 3333 North Shartel Avenue Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73118-7277 Phone: (405) 528-0562 Fax: (405) 556-5063 Grades: 9-12 Principal: Carol Kelley Board President: Steven Jech Sponsor: Oklahoma City Public Schools |
Harding Fine Arts Charter School |
| Independence Charter Middle School 3232 Northwest 65th Street Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73116-3512 Phone: (405) 841-3130 Fax: (405) 841-3134 Grades: 6-8 Principal: Vanna Baker Sponsor: Oklahoma City Public Schools |
Justice Alma Wilson SeeWorth Academy 12600 North Kelley Avenue Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73131-1869 Phone: (405) 475-5540 Fax: (405) 475-5561 Grades: 3-12 Director: Janet Grigg Principal: Stacey Golden Vice Principal: Tarrance Rogers Sponsor: Oklahoma City Public Schools |
| KIPP Reach College Preparatory 1901 Northeast 13th Street Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73117-3613 Phone: (405) 425-4622 Fax: (405) 425-4624 Grades: 5-8 Principal: Tracy McDaniel Office Manager: Loretta Jones Sponsor: Oklahoma City Public Schools |
Marcus Garvey Leadership Charter School 1537 Northeast 24th Street Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111-3212 Phone: (405) 427-7616 Phone: (405) 427-7616 ex.(239) Fax: (405) 425-4632 Grades: PreK-8 Administrator: Kevin McPherson Dean of Instruction: Herlena Leggins Sponsor: Oklahoma City Public Schools |
| Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy 7508 Dripping Springs Lane Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73150 Phone: (405) 386-3018 Grades: K-11 President: Kristi Gifford Choctaw-Nicoma Park Superintendent: Jim McCharen Sponsor: Choctaw-Nicoma Park Public Schools |
Santa Fe South Elementary |
| Santa Fe South High School 301 Southeast 38th Street Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73129-3015 Phone: (405) 631-6100 Fax: (405) 681-6993 Grades: 9-12 Director/Principal: Chris Brewster Sponsor: Oklahoma City Public Schools |
Santa Fe South Middle School 4712 South Santa Fe Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73109-7545 Phone: (405) 635-1053 Fax: (405) 635-0423 Grades: 6-8 Principal: Mike Figueroa Director: Chris Brewster Sponsor: Oklahoma City Public Schools |
| Stanley Hupfeld Academy at Western Village 1508 Northwest 106th Street Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73114-5299 Phone: (405) 751-1774 Fax: (405) 752-6833 Grades: Early Childhood-5 Director: Tobi Campbell Principal: Margaret Brinson Sponsor: Oklahoma City Public Schools |
Tsunadeloquasdi Cherokee Immersion Charter School Post Office Box 520 Tahlequah, Oklahoma 74465 Phone: (918) 453-5400 Fax: (918) 467-4746 Grades: PreK-5 Superintendent: Rita Bunch Principal: Holly Davis Sponsor: Cherokee Nation |
| Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences 5155 East 51st Street Tulsa, Oklahoma 74135-7458 Phone: (918) 828-7727 Fax: (918) 828-7747 Grades: 9-12 Interim: Dennis Shoemaker Sponsor: Tulsa Public Schools |
Alexis Rainbow 2009-10--Planning and Prepararion 2010-11--Planning and Preparation 2011-12--Planning and Preparation Phone: (440) 960-0470 and/or (405) 270-0070 Fax: (440) 960-0473 Grades: K-12 CEO: Alexis Rainbow Dean: Iris Myers Board President: Annette Wells White Sponsor: Langston University |