Types of Charters

Charter schools in Georgia are varied both in type and focus. Georgia law authorizes five distinct types of schools:

Independent Charter Schools

• Startup Charter Schools – locally approved schools created by petitions brought forth by parents, teachers, community members, non-profit organizations or local public entities
• State Chartered Special Schools – schools that are approved by the state or by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission, generally after a local denial

Dependent Charter Schools

• Conversion Charter Schools – traditional public schools that opt to become charters and are authorized by the local school district and the State Board of Education
• Charter Systems – a local school system operating under the terms of a charter in order to have greater flexibility to meet the needs of students and authorized by the State Board of Education
• Career Academies – a school operating in conjunction with a college or technical institute in partnership with community stakeholders and the local school district. A few career academies operate as independent charter schools