Community Choice Public Schools are free, public, and open to all.
- Community Choice Public Schools are publicly funded, just like all other public schools. They cannot charge tuition or have any entrance exams.
- There is never a cost to attend a Community Choice Public School. They are another free public school option for students and families.
- Community Choice Public Schools may be established by parents, teachers, community members and businesses in any community across the state.
- Community Choice Public Schools (called charter schools in other states) have been around for more than 30 years and operate in forty-five states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Community Choice Public Schools are open to all students.
- Any student may attend a Community Choice School, regardless of where they live.
- Community Choice Public Schools accept any student who submits an application. The application generally asks for basic information like child's name, address, phone number, etc. Because charter schools are so popular with families in other states, Montana state law requires Choice Schools to have a public, random and blind lottery if more students want to attend than there is room available at the school.
- Montana’s Community Choice Public School laws and regulations ensure that each student has an the same opportunity to enroll and attend, regardless of zip code and special education needs.
Community Choice Public Schools will administer yearly standardized tests like all other public schools.
- Community Choice Public Schools must participate in annual standardized testing and must disclose their results to their Authorizer, thereby, to the public at large.
- Moreover, unlike traditional public schools and district charter schools, Community Choice Public Schools must meet specific academic performance standards. Increased flexibility and autonomy in exchange for high academic results is a hallmark of Community Choice Public Schools and is what largely sets them apart from district charter schools.
What makes Community Choice Public Schools different from traditional district schools?
- Community Choice Public Schools operate independently from local school district boards of education yet are under the general supervision of the Montana Board of Public Education. This set-up allows Choice Schools to operate independently from the state education laws, rules and regulations, but they must instead adhere to the specific promises made in their charter contracts with their Authorizer. This freedom allows them to choose their own curriculum, hire their own teachers, and modify teaching methods. In short, Community Choice Public Schools can quickly respond to students’ needs without as much bureaucratic red tape.
- They are accountable to the families who attend them, federal laws and regulations, and the requirements of their approved charter contract.
How are Community Choice Public Schools funded?
- Funding follows the student to a Community Choice School. Choice Schools will receive state a state funded Basic Entitlement, and a percentage of the per-pupil local, state and federal funding known as Average Number Belonging (ANB) based on the number of students enrolled in the school, just like other traditional public and district charter schools. Local school districts will generally know at least a year in advance when a Community Choice Public School will open near them, allowing them ample time to adjust their budgets as needed.
