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 (and fire) 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. [256E.1, 256E4, 256E.5]

Authorized Charter Schools

Authorized Charter Schools List

* School Board Model

General Information

Charter school laws were established in 2002 under Iowa Code 256F, which resulted in the authorization of two charter schools in Iowa. 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. Open enrollment does not apply to charter schools, therefore parents may enroll students based on the charter school’s enrollment procedures, including deadlines (if any).  See Authorized Charter Schools.

Application

Note: The 2024-25 charter school application cycle is closed. The 2025-26 application cycle will begin in August 2025 with an application Deadline of Nov. 1, 2025. Materials for the 2025-26 charter schools application cycle will be available on this webpage in August.

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: as a new attendance center, developing a new school within an existing attendance center, or 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 [256E.1(2)].

2024-25 Charter School Application Timeline

Reports

Charter Schools are required to submit annual reports to the State Board by Oct. 1 of each year (256.12). 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 the 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 (256.12). 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.

November 2023 Charter School and Innovation Zone School Report (Storm Lake Charter School, West Central Charter School)

November 2023 Charter School Program Findings and Recommendations Report (Choice Charter School, Hamburg Charter High School

November 2022 Charter School and Innovation Zone School Report (Storm Lake Charter School, West Central Charter School)

November 2022 Charter School Program Findings and Recommendations Report (Choice Charter School, Hamburg Charter High School)