Yes. Like other public schools, charter schools must be open to every child regardless of race, religion, disability or academic ability. However, many charter schools have specific educational missions focusing on particular topics or students with particular needs. Also, charters have a cap on enrollment. They may need to hold an enrollment lottery if more students apply to a class that is already full. At Quest Academy, the target class size is 25 students.

Charter schools are funded on the principle that state funds follow the student. A differentiated WPU is applied to Charter School students. In distributing funds under the Minimum School Program Act, to charter schools, charter school pupils shall be weighted, where applicable, as follows:

The vast majority of funding comes through the WPU. In addition, the legislature appropriates funds each year to replace some of the local property tax revenues that are not available to charter schools. Charter schools may also apply for state and federal start-up funds and specialized funds if qualifying students are served in approved programs.

A charter school may not charge tuition or require students or parents to make donations and is subject to the same rules regarding school fees as other public schools.

The first charter schools opened in Minnesota in 1991. In 1996, there were 250 charter schools nationwide. By 2005, almost 1 million students were enrolled in close to 3,300 charter schools nationwide. To date, forty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have passed charter school legislation.

A charter school is an independent, public school established and operated by a locally formed Board of Trustees pursuant to a charter issued by the State Office of Education. Charter schools allow parents the choice of a free, public education for their child within an environment centered on the needs of children in a particular school, rather than a school district at large.

The Board of Trustees is comprised of local community leaders and parents, who are solely focused on the well being and performance of their particular school, rather than a typical district that has stewardship over numerous schools. Charter Schools receive their funding from the State and Federal Governments in much the same way other public schools do.

Charter schools are established by educators, community organizations, and/or parents, who can select from myriad available curricula an educational program that suits their one school. This permits a charter school to implement a cutting-edge educational plan, rather than follow a more generic, traditional approach. Moreover, educational quality and policy at a charter school can be monitored and improved on a hands-on, frequent basis, which is more difficult within a school district. Students who attend charter schools do so by choice, not by assignment; similarly, educators who teach at charter schools do so by choice. Of course, in exchange for greater autonomy, charter schools are expected to produce results superior to non-charter schools.

Find more information on charter schools at:

• Utah State Charter School Board (SCSB)
• Utah Association for Public Charter Schools (UAPCS)
• https://charterschoolcenter.ed.gov/category/states/utah
• https://www.publiccharters.org/

Quest Academy was created to fulfill a driving passion to develop the highest standards of excellence and preparation in elementary and secondary education. The core values and principles that drive this objective are heavy community involvement and ownership, cutting edge curriculum and strategies, small teacher-to-student ratios, and strong accountability among the students, teachers, and parents.

Parents have innumerable reasons for choosing a charter school. Chief among these reasons are smaller class size, better student-to-teacher ratio, innovative curriculum and learning processes, well rounded education, greater accountability, and local control. Is Quest Academy a good fit for your children? Come and see. Schedule a tour today.