Charter schools are driving success, innovation and progress.
of charter students face socio-economic disadvantages & work to overcome odds
charter schools in Michigan serving over 150,000 students.
more cost-effective than the average traditional public school in the same city
Charter schools are
Authorizers are the institutions that decide who can start a new charter school, set expectations and oversee school performance, and decide which schools should continue to serve students or not. In Michigan, authorizers can be universities, community colleges, local school districts, or intermediate school districts (ISDs).
A full-service charter school management company will do everything from establishing the
Not every charter school has a management company, some are entirely independently-managed, while others opt for a-la-carte services, like human resources or accounting.
Yes, every single charter school in the state of Michigan is a tuition-free, public entity with nonprofit status.
Many charter schools work with external for-profit organizations, such as management companies and other service providers, to operate their schools - just like traditional public schools who work with vendors to provide things like school lunches, books, and accounting services. However, these partnerships in no way affect the nonprofit status of any charter school.
Charter schools have the flexibility and autonomy to differentiate their curriculum, facilities
Charter schools, like district public schools, are funded according to enrollment, and receive funding from the district and the state according to the number of students attending. Unlike traditional district schools, most charter schools do not receive funding to cover the cost of securing a facility. Charter schools, however, receive no state funding for facilities and cannot leverage local bond and millage funding for their buildings like traditional schools can.
In 2021, the funding equity gap between the state minimum and state maximum per-pupil foundational allowance was closed, ensuring that charter students (who were formerly funded at the state minimum) received equitable funding for their education.
The board members who serve Michigan’s public schools share many things in common. Whether elected or appointed, they are public officials, trustees of our children’s futures and united by the belief that a high-quality education should be accessible to all. But unlike traditional public schools, Michigan’s charter schools are organized under nonprofit school boards appointed by authorizers like Central Michigan University, the entities with the authority to approve new charter schools. We believe that this structure of governance provides a number of very important advantages.
Charter schools serve students and families across Michigan ranging in virtually every demographic category - culturally, socioeconomically, etc. - and as such see support from many, diverse Michiganders. A recent poll showed that support for charter schools is up 5% from 2022, to 64% total, and only 22% of Michiganders have an unfavorable opinion of charters, down from 3% since 2020 (Marketing Research Group, 2022).
Demographically, the poll showed that 54.3% of Democrats, 78.3% of Republicans, and 62.8% of Independents support charters - those numbers are up in every category since 2020.
Simply put, Michigan families want choices in K-12 education, and charter schools are an essential piece of that puzzle.
Yes, as public schools, charters are held to the exact same state-mandated academic standards and participate in the same state testing. You can view the academic performance of any charter school, and compare results with other charters and traditional public schools by visiting the MI School Data Parent Dashboard for School Transparency.
Yes, charter schools regularly meet and exceed traditional public school performance standards, earning top rankings in annual U.S. News & World Reports.
Yes, in urban areas where education systems are often failing children, including the state’s largest city, charter schools have drastically improved access to quality learning opportunities - and the results speak for themselves. Consider the following data from Detroit:
Charter schools challenge the concept that our long-standing traditional public school system is the best fit for every student and every family. In doing so, charters are also challenging curriculum, facilities setup, management style and more.
Inherently, charters thrive under principles of flexibility and autonomy, which inherently position them as a hot-button issue for political leaders on both sides of the
Now more than ever, charter schools are used as a political test by political contributors. Too many times, to effectively run in a Democratic seat as a lawmaker, there is an unspoken requirement that you will take a stand and oppose charter schools. Yet we know that in Michigan, charter schools are widely supported by various parent demographics.
MAPSA, Michigan’s Charter School Association, advocates for and supports the charter students, educators, families & advocates statewide.
While COVID-19 meant some schools had to pause instruction, many charters embraced the challenge head on, creating amazing opportunities at a distance.
That's up 5 points from 2020 (59% favorability). The unfavorable numbers are also dropping - only 22% of MI voters have an unfavorable opinion of charters, down from 25% in 2020.
That's up from 20% in 2020. Just 10% of voters say they're more likely to vote for a candidate who opposes charter schools, down from 13% in 2020.
Geographically, support has now increased to the point where it’s above 60% in every area of the state. In some areas of Michigan, support has grown by more than 20 points in the last two years.
We believe that K-12 education must continue elevating to meet the needs of modern learners. We hope the education of tomorrow is accessible, accountable, innovative & successful.
Michigan's Charter School Association
123 W Allegan, Ste 750
Lansing, MI 48933
Ph: (517) 374-9167