Public Charter Schools
Public charter schools provide options for parents and students while allowing communities and educators to create innovative instructional programs that can be replicated elsewhere in the public school system.
All public charter schools in Virginia are nonsectarian alternative public schools located within a school division and under the authority of a local school board.
Virginia Public Charter School Law
Article 1.2. Establishment of Public Charter Schools (§ 22.1-212.5 et seq.)
Charter School Legislation
Overview of Prior Public Charter School Legislation (PDF)
Virginia's Public Charter Schools
There are seven public charter schools operating in Virginia.
Community Lab School, Albemarle County
Green Run Collegiate, Virginia Beach
Hillsboro Charter Academy, Loudoun County
Middleburg Community Charter School, Loudoun County
Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts, Richmond City Public Schools
Richmond Career Education and Employment Academy, Richmond City Public Schools
York River Academy, York County
Public Charter School Application
At the July 2024 Board of Education Meeting, the Board of Education approved a revised Public Charter School Application Process, Application, and Evaluation Rubric.
A description of the Virginia Public Charter School Application Process (PDF)
Virginia Public Charter School Application (Word) – The application must be submitted to the Board of Education. The exception is a local school board intending to open a new public charter school or to convert an existing school to a charter. In either of those cases, the application would be submitted to the local school board without state board review.
Evaluation Rubric for Virginia Public Charter School Applications (PDF)
Completed public charter school applications should be sent to charters@doe.virginia.gov.
Board of Education Review
Prior to Board of Education review, a public charter school application is reviewed by the Public Charter School Standing Committee. The Public Charter School Standing Committee serves as a technical review panel of members with public charter school experience and/or expertise to score the application package using the evaluation criteria.
Public Charter School Standing Committee schedule and agendas
If the Public Charter School Standing Committee determines the public charter school application satisfies the Board of Education's criteria, then the application proceeds to Board of Education review. If the Board of Education determines the application satisfies the Board of Education's criteria, then the application proceeds to local school board review. In Virginia, the local school board is the ultimate authorizer of a public charter school application.
U.S. Department of Education Public Charter School Program Grants
The U.S. Department of Education's (USED) Charter Schools Program (CSP) oversees several grant opportunities each year. Additional information is available on the USED website.
Public Charter School Fund
In 2007, the General Assembly created within the treasury a special public charter school fund. Gifts, grants, bequests or donations from public or private sources paid into the state treasury and credited to the fund are used solely for the purposes of establishing or supporting public charter schools. See Criteria for Making Distributions from the Public Charter School Fund (PDF).
Public Charter School Annual Reports
Annually, the Board of Education submits to the Governor a report on the conditions and needs of public schools in Virginia. This report articulates major improvements, accomplishments and challenges facing public education in the commonwealth. The public charter school report is found in the appendix of the report.
2023 (PDF)
2022 (Word)
2021 (Word)
Board of Education Public Charter School Standing Committee
The Public Charter Schools Standing Committee serves as a technical review panel of members with public charter school experience and/or expertise to score the application package using the evaluation criteria.