What is a Charter School? » What is a Charter School?

What is a Charter School?

What is a Charter School?Photo of NYOS Students
Open-enrollment charter schools, such as NYOS Charter School, are free, public schools that have the flexibility to adapt to the educational needs of individual students. Open-enrollment charter schools vary in mission and model, serving a wide range of students, many with needs beyond the one-size-fits-all traditional public school. Often, these charter schools provide a personalized learning environment that promotes greater student achievement. Although charter schools have some autonomy, they still must meet the rigorous academic standards dictated by the state for all public schools. Learn more about charter schools at the Texas Charter School Association.

What is the accountability system for Texas charter schools?
Texas charter schools operate under and receive academic accountability ratings from the Texas Education Agency. Both charter and traditional public school students in Texas take the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests. You can learn more about NYOS Charter School's accountability ratings here.

Are there many charter schools in Texas?
Texas has a state cap of 215 open-enrollment charters with multiple campuses per charter. Open enrollment charters serve approximately 154,000 students on approximately 460 campuses across the state.

How many campuses does NYOS Charter School have?
NYOS has one campus for all of PreK-12th grade. Within our campus, we have a designated building for Elementary (PreK-5th), a designated building for middle school (6th-8th), and designated buildings for high school (9th-12th).

How do I apply for enrollment at NYOS Charter School?
You can go here to submit an application to NYOS Charter School. 

How do students get accepted into NYOS Charter School?
NYOS Charter School holds an annual lottery every March. Following the lottery, families are notified regarding if their student has been offered a spot or if their student will be on the waitlist for the upcoming school year. 
 
Is there a tuition?
No. Charter schools are free, open-enrollment public schools and because of this, there is no tuition. We do have limited capacity at each grade level and therefore use a lottery system for admissions.