Charter School FAQs

Charter schools are public schools of choice. Like traditional public schools, charter schools are funded by local, state, and federal tax dollars and are tuition-free. Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools have an independent school board and are exempt from certain regulations.

They serve eligible students who choose to attend and receive a charter to operate from the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board based on a performance agreement. Charters must be renewed and may be revoked.

Charter schools can be founded by individuals or groups of parents, teachers, school leaders, or community members.

While anyone can open a charter school, successful applicants must be able to meet application requirements and demonstrate competence to serve students in a specific community. To do this, school founders and founding teams need a variety of expertise and support.

In Mississippi, charter schools may only apply to open in D or F-rated school districts unless they receive school board approval to apply in an A, B, or C-rated school district.

Submitting a successful charter application and preparing to serve students takes at least three years of planning and hard work. To find out more, click here.

Mississippi has eleven authorized charter schools with eight currently operating in Jackson, Clarksdale, and Greenwood.

Embark offers early stage and application year resources and opportunities and works with state and national partners to build the pipeline of charter school founders and support the charter sector. To find out more, start a conversation.

            Click here to sign up for access to more resources.