Mountain Heights is a fully-accredited charter school recognized for stellar testing and graduation rates. However, many parents researching alternative school options are confused: what is a charter school, and how does it relate to a conventional brick-and-mortar public school?
What Are Charter Schools?
Charter schools often seem like completely separate entities from other public schools, but in actuality, charter schools meet all the same requirements as a regular public school. They are free for students and their families because they are state-funded. They must meet the same admission requirements as a public school, and are held to the same fiscal and academic standards. Here are some other ways in which charter schools are just like your neighborhood public school:
- Accountable to the state through annual and monthly budget reports
- Must participate in statewide testing programs
- Open to any student, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, religion, disability level, or academic ability
- Must adhere to laws pertaining to special education and disability access
- Follows same laws of compulsory school attendance as any other public school
- Must be accredited by the same organization that accredits all public schools AdvancED.
How Do They Differ from neighborhood district high schools?
Charter schools were created to give students and families more options for public education. Here at Mountain Heights Academy, we know that the local high school structure doesn’t work for every student. Some students have special needs, mobile lifestyles, and demanding side projects that require a more flexible schedule and accessibility.
The main difference between a charter school and a district school is the governance structure. A district school is governed by an elected district school board, while a charter school is governed by an individual school governing board. This board applies for a charter, an agreement between the school and the authorizer, that outlines how the school will provide educational services to the students it serves. The charter details specific criteria by which the school will be governed and run, including community outreach, parental involvement, educational goals, budgetary considerations, and much more. Charter schools may occasionally apply for waivers that exempt them from certain obligations. In Utah, charter schools can be authorized by the State Charter School Board, a university, a district, or a technology college, among others.
Learn More about Mountain Heights’ Educational Opportunities
Charter schools allow students and citizens to have more flexibility in their education options while still upholding the standards required of all public education in the state of Utah. Here at Mountain Heights, we provide students with flexible educational opportunities that aren’t readily accessible for students in brick and mortar schools. Learn more by contacting us today.