Types of Charters

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

Independent Charter Schools

• Startup Charter Schools – locally approved schools created by petitions brought forth by parents, organizations or local public entities
• State Chartered Special Schools – schools that are state approved after local denial
• Commission Approved Charter Schools – schools authorized by the new Georgia State Charter Schools Commission

Dependent Charter Schools

• Conversion Charter Schools – traditional public schools that opt to become charters
• LEA Startups – startup charter schools created by submission of a petition by the Local Education Agency to the local school board
• 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