Charter schools are tuition-free public schools and enrollment is open to all students. They are independently operated schools that run with more flexibility than district-run public schools in exchange for increased accountability.
The “charter” that establishes each school is a contract detailing the school’s mission, program, performance goals, and methods of assessment. Every public charter school has an authorizer which, outlined in Colorado state law, is a local district school board or the Charter School Institute. Authorizers are responsible for holding charter schools accountable for compliance with their operating agreements or “charters.”
Like all public schools, charter schools are:
- Tuition-free and part of the free public school system
- Held to state and federal academic standards
- Open to all students, including those with disabilities
- Funded primarily through a combination of federal, state, and local tax dollars
- Not affiliated with or restricted to a particular religious group
All KIPP Colorado schools are public charter schools. And yet, not all public charter schools are like KIPP. KIPP Colorado is a non-profit network of college-preparatory, public charter schools educating early childhood, elementary, middle and high school students.
We are part of the nationwide KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) network of 209 schools in 20 states and Washington, DC, educating nearly 90,000 students on their path to and through college.
