Can charter schools use selective admissions criteria?

Short answer: it depends on the charter school. Some charter schools function as “magnet schools” and only take select students who meet their specific criteria. read more

The two types of schools are considered in competition with each other, both for students and for money, so charters that can use a tough selection criteria to screen out all but the most promising students would get a leg up over traditional schools that must legally admit anyone within their district. read more

Charter schools must also meet the state and federal academic requirements that apply to all public schools. A new story about charter schools admissions by Stephanie Simon at Reuters details how the reality of admissions at many charter schools is far different from the above rhetoric. read more