CHARTER SCHOOLS

Charter-school legislation in Texas provides for three types of charter schools: the home-rule school district charter, the campus or campus-program charter and the open-enrollment charter.

As of July 2005, no district has expressed official interest in home-rule charter status, because of its complex developmental procedures. Houston, Dallas, Nacogdoches, San Antonio and Spring Branch school districts have created campus charter schools, which are overseen by each school district's board of trustees.

Open-enrollment charter schools are public schools released from some Texas education laws and regulations. These schools are granted by the State Board of Education (SBOE). This charter contract is typically granted for 5 to 10 years and can be revoked if the school violates its charter.

As of July 2005, a total of 237 open-enrollment charter schools have been chartered. As of the summer of 2005, 201 charters are open and educating about 66,000 students. Many charter schools have focused their efforts on educating young people who are at risk of dropping out of school or who have dropped out and then returned to school.