PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL FAQ 

KENTUCKY  
 
WHAT IS A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL? 
A public charter school is a public school that is publicly funded and independently operated with oversight 
from local county boards. Public charter schools have site based management and the flexibility to make 
decisions about curriculum, staffing, and budget at the school-level. In exchange for this autonomy, public 
charter schools are held to higher levels of accountability. If they do not meet certain performance-based 
outcomes, they may be closed. This flexibility allows them to be more innovative and nimble in meeting the 
needs of students and more responsiv​e to teacher requests. 

WHO CAN ATTEND A CHARTER SCHOOL? 

As a public school, charter schools are open to all students through open enrollment, are not allowed to 
have admission requirements, and are always tuition-free. If there are more students who want to enroll 
than there is space to accommodate, the school must hold a randomized lottery​ held in a publi​c meeting to 
ensure all students have equal access to the public charter school. In 2017-18, there were more than 7,000 
charter schools serving nearly 3.2 million students, or 6 percent of the 50 million public school students in 
the U.S. In Kentucky, this applies to any student who is a resident of the district where the charter school is 
located, though there are provisions that could allow students to attend a charter school in another district, 
through an agreement between the districts. 

WHO DECIDES WHERE AND WHEN A CHARTER SCHOOL 

OPENS? 
An authorizer decides when and where a public charter school can open. While authorizers vary state by 
state as determined by each state’s public charter school law, in Kentucky, authorizers are limited to local 
boards of education and the Mayors of Louisville and Lexington.in   
WHO CAN START A CHARTER SCHOOL? 
In most cases, groups of committed parents, educators, and community members come together to start a 
school that reflects the needs of the students in that community. If they demonstrate the ability to open a 
high-quality school, a state’s authorizer may award them a charter, or contract, to operate the school. 

HOW DO CHARTER SCHOOLS PERFORM? 

The most recent research on the impact of public charter schools shows that students in charter schools 
outperform their peers in traditional public schools. Charter schools do a particularly good job of serving 
educationally disadvantaged students – low-income and minority students performed significantly better in 
charter schools than their peers in traditional public schools. In addition, charter schools focus intently on 
success in college and career – children in charter schools are more likely to graduate from high school 
than their traditional school peers. Mathematica Policy Research has also found evidence that charter high 
schools are increasing educational attainment, as well as long-run earnings. 

ARE CHARTER SCHOOLS PUBLIC SCHOOLS? 

Yes. Like all public schools, every public charter school is a tuition-free public school. They have no 
entrance exams, and any student is eligible to attend. If interest exceeds seats available, a lottery system is 
used to ensure equity. Charter schools in Kentucky are run by an independent charter board, which is 
comprised of sworn-in public officials who provide oversight to the charter school. Charter schools provide 
a high-quality education option to public school students, upholding high standards that meet and often 
exceed the district and state metrics 

ARE CHARTER SCHOOLS NONPROFIT? 

Yes, the overwhelming majority of public charter schools are nonprofit organizations. Kentucky allows 
for-profit organizations to provide education and management services to public schools, including charter 
schools, but nationally this accounts for less than 15% of charter schools across the country. In Kentucky, 
these organizations are neither allowed to apply for a charter nor sit on a charter board, and Kentucky law 
requires additional scrutiny for any organization that will provide these services to a charter school. 
Regardless, all charter schools are free to attend. 

DO CHARTER SCHOOLS HAVE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS? 

No, public charter schools do not have admission requirements or entrance exams. Further, Kentucky uses 
a uniform student application that ensures the information a school has about a student at the time of 
enrollment is little more than what is required to establish their legal right to attend the school. Though 
many charter schools are in high demand and when that demand exceeds the spaces available in the 
school, a charter school may hold a randomized, blind lottery held in a public meeting to determine which 
students are admitted or may preference students by need or location. 

WHAT IS A CHARTER SCHOOL AUTHORIZER? 

Authorizers are the institutions that decide who can start a new public charter school, set expectations and 
oversee school performance, and decide which schools should continue to serve students or not. Many 
states allow authorizers to be state education agencies, independent boards, universities, mayors and 
municipalities. However, in Kentucky, authorizers are limited to local boards of education and the Mayors of 
Louisville and Lexington. 

DO CHARTER SCHOOLS CHARGE TUITION? 

No, all charter schools are tuition-free, public schools. 

ARE THERE CHARTER SCHOOLS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES? 

Yes! In fact, in 2015-16, 11 percent of public charter schools were in rural areas. Public charter schools 
serve rural communities well by giving students and families the opportunity to create a school that reflects 
the values and interests of the community. For example, if a community decides that they want access to a 
school-wide STEM curriculum, a public charter school could be the tool to create that. Conversely, if a 
community decides that a public charter school isn’t for them because they’re satisfied with the offerings of 
their current schools, they don’t have to start one. Charter schools, by design, reflect the needs and desires 
of a community.  

ARE THERE CHARTER SCHOOLS IN KENTUCKY?  

No. While Kentucky passed a charter law in 2017, the legislature failed to include a , formula to ensure that 
funding for students who choose a charter school will follow them to that school. Despite the 2017 mandate 
to allow charter schools, without public funding, it is not possible to open a charter school. Kentucky is one 
of just seven states in the country without public charter schools.  

WHY DOES KENTUCKY NEED CHARTER SCHOOLS? 

While Kentucky has made improvement in public school performance, educators need more tools to 
accelerate that progress and help to spread improvement across the state. On the 2017 National 
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), only 38 percent of 4th grade students scored at or above 
proficiency in reading and just 40 percent of students scored at or above proficiency in math. Kentucky 
educators deserve every tool in the toolbox to help meet the needs of all Kentucky students. Considering 
the gains that students have made in charter schools across the country, Kentucky must fund these schools 
to ensure all students have a fair shot at a great public education.