Monterey and Santa Cruz County Charter Schools

Charter School head

Charter schools are public schools. They operate under a written contract with the state and district. This contract – or charter – details how the school will be organized and managed, what students will be expected to achieve, and how success will be measured. Charter schools do need to follow state-mandated curriculum and are subject to the same rules and regulations that cover it, although there is some flexibility in the way it is designed.

California is one of three states with the highest number of students enrolled in a charter school. In Monterey County, there are nine charter schools. Santa Cruz County has six charter schools.

Charter schools are free to attend and most have a lottery system for entry.