Resources for Parents & Community
The Office of Charter & Partner Schools and the Office of Student Registration collaborated to develop the APS school finder tool for families to quickly and easily find key information about each of the district’s charter, partner, and neighborhood schools.
You will also find a directory of charter and partner schools in the Information & Evaluations section of our webpage where you can access each school’s individual website.
Additionally, if you are interested in applying for enrollment of a student at one of APS’s charter schools, each school’s website provides information about the school’s enrollment process and timeline.
Questions or Concerns
If you are the parent or caregiver of a student at an APS charter or partner school and have an issue or concern with your student’s school that you have not been able to resolve with the school’s principal, please click here to submit your concern to our “Let’s Talk” platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a charter school?
A charter school is a public school that operates under contract with a local authorizer such as Atlanta Public Schools. Charter schools are governed by their own independent, non-profit boards with oversight from the authorizer and the Georgia Department of Education. Charter schools have district-wide enrollment zones and are allowed flexibility in their programming in exchange for specific performance goals.
Are charter schools public schools?
Yes.
Can my child attend a charter school?
All families living within the Atlanta Public School district may apply to attend an APS charter school. Registration is handled at the individual schools and is only limited by available space. Charter schools may set geographic enrollment priority zones in their charter. Any spaces available after initial registration are filled by lottery.
I live out of district. Can my child attend an APS charter school?
Unfortunately, no. Charter schools are funded primarily through local tax dollars and only district residents may attend. Only children of employees and board members of a specific charter school living outside of the district are allowed to attend.
Do charter schools provide special education services?
As public schools, all charter schools must serve students with special needs. Atlanta Public Schools charters participate in some elements of the district’s special education program and services are monitored by the district. As is the case with neighborhood schools, the most appropriate program for every student may not be offered at every charter school.
What are the Atlanta Board of Education’s policies regarding charter schools?
The Atlanta Board of Education’s policies regarding charter schools can be found here on the APS Board site.
Who governs APS charter schools?
Each charter school is governed by its own independent board. Charter school boards are incorporated as Georgia nonprofit corporations. Some charter schools contract with Educational Management Organizations to run their schools, but all legal and fiduciary responsibility for a charter school rests with its independent governing board. Both the APS Office of Charter & Partner Schools and the Georgia Department of Education mainly provide oversight and support to charter schools rather than actively managing them.
How are charter schools funded?
Like all public schools, charters receive a combination of federal, state and local funding. The Georgia Department of Education calculates a funding sheet for each individual charter school, based on the school’s student and employee composition. The local authorizer then develops a proportional local funding amount based on the average amount each student in the district receives from local dollars. The formula for each of these calculations can be found in Title 20, Georgia School Law.
How can I find more information about a specific charter or partner school?
Contacting schools directly is the best way to find additional information. Charter and partner school board meetings are open to the public and the meetings are posted on each school’s website. You can also find more information about schools in the Information & Evaluations section of our webpage.
Where can I find a charter or partner school’s contract?
All current charter school contracts can be found on the Georgia Department of Education’s website. Additionally, all APS charter and partner school contracts are archived on the Information & Evaluations page of this site.
What are the differences between charter schools and partner schools?
Charter schools and partner schools are two different types of schools operating in APS. The table below highlights the differences between these school types:
