CHARTER SCHOOLS
Multiple Choice Charter school, like public schools, are free and plentiful in North Texas, but here’s why some parents choose the charter school route
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WORDS ASHLEY HAYS-WEAVER
YNTHIA CAMPOS RECALLS THE DAY her daughter Anissa received her acceptance letter to the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts (FWAFA). “You would have thought she just got into an elite college. She was screaming and crying,” Campos says with a chuckle. Campos was living in Aledo at the time and looking to move back to Fort Worth, but says the determining factor was whether or not Anissa could get into a charter school. “Every time I looked up stats for the district we would be entering,” Campos explains, “it just didn’t line up with what we were getting in Aledo.”
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2021 / guide to education
THE CHARTER COURSE
Since they are public, there can be confusion on how charter schools operate compared to independent school district campuses. Both are overseen by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and credentialed in factors including state accreditation, financial ratings and academic ratings. Charters are held accountable to the same academic standards, using State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR testing. (Charter schools that don’t meet academic or financial standards for three consecutive years must close. Traditional public schools with academic
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Ally Pires Tooley of Flower Mound says that charter schools landed on her radar once her son Nixon was preparing to enter kindergarten. “Our son is gifted,” she shares. “We live in Lewisville ISD, which is a great district. However, Founders Classical Academy offered that extra structure and support that he needed to really be challenged.” As 2019 enrollment numbers for Texas charter schools nearly tripled those of 2012, it’s clear that more parents are opting for those campuses. While charter schools are educating only 6.3% of Texas students, the stats reflect increasing interest.
