Charter Schools

A charter school is a public school that must operate with a governing board, independently of any school committee, under a five-year charter granted by the Iowa State Board of Education (State Board). It has the freedom to organize around a core mission, curriculum, theme, and/or teaching method and to control its own budget and hire teachers and staff. In return for this freedom, a charter school must attract students and produce positive results within five years or risk losing its charter.

All potential charter schools must complete an application to establish charter school status the year prior to operation. [Iowa Code 256E.1, 256E.4 and 256E.5]

General Information

Charter school laws were established in 2002 under Iowa Code 256F. On July 1, 2021, Iowa Code 256E, as well as House File 813 and 847, and Senate File 2368, were signed into law.  Any entity that seeks charter school authorization in the state of Iowa must follow all codes and regulations under Iowa Code 256E. Note that charter schools established prior to July 1, 2021, are subject to requirements under Iowa Code 256F; no other charter schools may be established under this law.

Parent Support

Parents have a variety of educational choice options for their children to obtain a high-quality education in Iowa. Attending a charter school is one option. Parents may enroll students based on the charter school's identified enrollment procedures, including any applicable deadlines. Note that Open Enrollment procedures and guidance do not apply to the charter school enrollment process. See Authorized Charter Schools below for a current list of charter schools.

Authorized Charter Schools

Authorized Charter Schools List (136.49 KB) .pdf
 

Open Charter Schools

Application

Any founding group may apply to establish a public charter school. If a founding group is created by a school board, the charter may be established in three ways: 

1. as a new attendance center,
2. developing a new school within an existing attendance center, or
3. converting an existing attendance center to a charter. 

If a founding group is created independent of a school district, the charter may be established and operate within the boundaries of the state [Iowa Code 256E.1(2)].

Charter School Application Timeline: 2025-26

Deadlines are due by 11:59 p.m. on the day indicated.

1. Notice of Intent to Apply
   To ensure timeliness and the complete review of Charter School Applications, a Notice of Intent to Apply (NIA)* is solicited at least 60 days prior to the application deadline of Nov. 2. For the 2026-27 year, the notice is due on Sept. 1, 2026. Submission of this completed form serves as the official Notice of Intent. Questions about this form may be directed to charters@iowa.gov. 

   Note that this form is voluntary. Not completing the Notice of Intent to Apply does not make a potential applicant ineligible to apply; however, completing the notice supports the Department in timely and effective review of applications.

   *The NIA will be open for submissions by August 3, 2026

2. Applications Released
   1. Iowa Charter School Application: Founding Group Model and related Iowa Charter School Application Guide: Founding Group Model
   2. Iowa Charter School Application: School Board Model and related Iowa Charter School Application Guide: School Board Model

Note: Applications to start a charter school will be linked here on August 17, 2026.

1. Application Support Webinar
   Information from the Aug. 21, 2026, Application Support Webinar will be provided to any entity that completes the Notice of Intent to Apply (NIA)*.

   *The NIA will be linked by Aug. 3, 2026.

2. Applicant Office Hours
   Applicant Office Hours to address questions from potential applicants will be held in September and October. Scheduling information will be provided to any entity that completes the Notice of Intent to Apply (NIA)*.

   *The NIA will be linked by Aug. 3, 2026.

3. Application Deadline
   Applicants must complete and submit an application that best fits the selected charter model, as indicated in the appropriate application materials, by Nov. 2, 2026. If this deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or a state-observed holiday, the notice of intent is due on the next business day.
4. Application Review
   All applications will be reviewed by the Department to evaluate charter school readiness and capacity using criteria consistent with nationally recognized principles and standards in the following areas: Academic Programming, Operational Capacity and Financial Capacity. The Department Review Team is composed of Department staff who are experts in their respective areas, as well as external members selected based on specific area(s) of expertise as needed for a well-rounded team.
5. Public Forums and Applicant Capacity Interviews
   Each application review not only includes a thorough review of the submitted application, but also:
   1. A public forum, which is an opportunity for local residents of the public school district within which the applicant proposes to locate the charter school, to learn about and provide input on each application. Each applicant will be required to hold an in-person public forum in the desired service area and to provide specific information about the forum date, time, content and attendance to the Department.
   2. An in-person interview that will be scheduled post-review of the application materials.

Additional information about the forums and interviews is provided to applicants during the application review process.

8. State Board of Education Application Authorization
   The Department Review Team will provide a recommendation regarding approval/denial of each applicant. The Iowa State Board of Education will review each applicant's recommendations and submitted applications. As the sole authorizer in Iowa, the Iowa State Board of Education will make the final decision on each applicant's authorization.
9. Charter School Contract Drafting
   If an applicant is authorized by the Iowa State Board of Education to be a Charter School, a contract must be on file within 30 days. Authorized charter schools are provided technical assistance in drafting a proposed charter school contract.
10. State Board of Education Contract Approval
    Contracts from approved charter school applicants will be reviewed by the Iowa State Board of Education at its February meeting. Once approved and signed, the charter school applicant will be fully authorized to begin operations in Iowa.
     

Charter Finance

Charter School Funding 2025-26 (108.76 KB) .pdf - This document provides a summary of the funding provided to Iowa charter schools by the Department of Education, including funding sources, amounts by source, differences based on full- or partial-year enrollment and the four charter school payment dates.

Reports

Charter Schools are required to submit annual reports to the State Board by Oct. 1 of each year (256E.12). The purpose of the report is to assist the state board in evaluating the charter school’s performance and compliance with the performance framework. The reports must include information regarding student achievement, including annual academic growth and proficiency, graduation rates, and financial performance and sustainability. The reports are public records, and their examination, publication, and dissemination of the reports are governed by the provisions of Chapter 22.

In turn, the State Board is required to submit an annual comprehensive report to the general assembly by Dec. 1, of each year (256E.12). The Oct. 1 charter school reports serve as a basis for the State Board report, which additionally includes the following for each charter: (a) purpose, goals and update on each stated goal, (b) mission statement, (c) attendance statistics, (d) dropout rate (e) aggregate assessment test scores, (f) projections of financial stability, (g) number and qualifications of teachers and administrators, (h) findings (compliance), and (i) recommendations whether each charter is meeting its set goals and purpose.

• December 2025 Iowa Charter School Report

• December 2024 Iowa Charter Schools Report