How Charters Work

Stipends - Also called "Allotments". Some charters have stipends, others don't. If offered, this is money that the school allows parents to spend on learning materials such as curriculum, lab supplies, books, videos, subscriptions to online vendors, etc. Some will pay for outside experiences such as music lessons, martial arts, concerts, museum fees, etc. Each school has different rules for spending the money, and different ways of paying.

Online classes - Many charters provide an all-school subscription to one of the national online content providers, such as Odysseyware, Edgenuity, Florida Virtual, eDynamic, etc. For some schools, 100% of learning is through this provider. The charter pays a fee to the provider, and passes along access to the students, along with a local teacher to supervise their progress and give advice. The third party providers do have varying reputations, so if your child will be using them a majority of the time, it is worth it to do some research for reviews.

In-Person classes - If your goal is to have your student take some in-person classes offered by the school (versus an outside vendor) then ask about the types of classes available and how often they are offered. Once a month? Twice a week? Occasional workshops?

Community College - Also called Early College, this is where high school students can take classes at a community college for credit towards their high school diploma. Not to be confused with "dual credit" programs, where the high school offers the class, and they get college credit. In Oregon, these programs are usually offered part-time (one or two CC classes per year) or full-time (CC classes for 12 credits per term). Generally the charter pays all tuition and sometimes a book stipend. Each charter has a different list of participating colleges, see the Comparison Chart.

Religious curriculum - According to state law, schools cannot pay for religion-based curriculum (Abeka, Sonlight, Apologia, etc). If your school offers a stipend, it cannot be used for that purpose; however, you can purchase them yourself and use them as part of your learning plan.

Special Education - Kids with an IEP or 504 can generally be accommodated, depending on their needs. Schools that are 100% online might have less ability to be flexible than ones that are more parent-taught curriculum. If your child needs tutoring or therapy services, sometimes these are provided by the school itself, other times by the sponsoring district's special ed staff, and sometimes they are virtual (video chat).

Standardized Testing - All Oregon charters are required to administer the annual SBAC test (Smarter Balance Assessment Consortium), which is a computer-based test in math, reading, and writing. This is given to students in grades 3-8 and 11. There is also an OAKS science test given in certain grades. Legally, students may opt out of this testing by turning in a form prior to the tests. However, in addition, most schools administer another test for reading and math proficiency, two or three times per year. Examples are the EasyCBM, Star360, iReady, Dibels, MAP.

Generally, no. The state does not have a system to pay two different schools for your child's education. There is an exception, however, for certain extra-curricular classes, such as band, drama, or after-school sports. Ask your charter if they have a system for paying the local school a fee for these classes, which is allowed by state law but must be negotiated by the two schools.

If you are an independent homeschooler (not with a charter) then you can take extra-curricular classes, either for free or a small fee, as negotiated with your local school. Generally this does not apply to core classes such as math and English.

No. The charter schools provide, as a minimum, a way of ensuring that our tax dollars are spent appropriately on student learning. It's a trade off. If you want complete independence, you can pay for things yourself, and many do that. It's not actually very expensive to homeschool using free online materials and the library.

Most charters have an application or lottery admission process in the winter prior to the coming school year. After the lottery they usually have a wait list. Be sure to watch the deadlines for application, as they are typically in February or March, and some have a required meeting attendance to apply. Some wait-lists roll over to the following year, others have to apply again each year.

The fully online schools have less restrictions on enrollment, and you may be able to enroll at any time. Check with them to see if you will be required to make up any missed work from the start of the year.

If your child is accepted into a charter school that is out of your own district, you need to get your district's permission for an Inter-District Transfer. Usually, this is a simple matter of filing the paperwork. The charter school will inform your home district of your child's enrollment, even if you haven't attended a neighborhood school in the past.

However, due to Covid-19, there has been an increase in parents wanting to homeschool with charters. There is a state rule that no more than 3% of a school district's population be allowed to transfer out to another district's charter. So currently, many applicants are finding that although they have been accepted into the destination charter, their home district has reached its maximum cap and denies the transfer. It just depends on what the numbers are in your home district. If this happens, there is an appeal process available.

If you are denied a transfer, it may be helpful to see if your own district has an in-district virtual school option. You can also register as an independent homeschooler in the meantime while you wait for availability.

If you want to homeschool on your own, this is perfectly legal and there are only a few requirements in Oregon. In fact, a majority of homeschoolers in Oregon are independent and do not use a charter. See Other Homeschool Options.

Each charter is slightly different in their approach, requirements, and benefits. Things to ask:

• Do we need to live near the school, or can we live anywhere?

• What are the learning options? Online? Home-taught? In-person classes? Community college?

• How often do we need to meet with a teacher, and is that in-person or online?

• Is there a stipend, and what are the options for using it?

• Will they pay for outside classes?

• What are the options for high school?

• How much flexibility is there for a child with learning challenges?