• Charter schools allow parents to take a more active role in their child’s education by empowering families with options in public education.
• Charter schools are tuition-free, independent public schools operated and governed by parents, teachers, and community members. 
• Charter schools are mandated to educate students and provide public education choices, intending to improve all public school education. 
• All charter schools are required to have licensed, highly qualified teachers.
• Minnesota led the nation and created public charter schools in 1991 under Minnesota Statute 124E. As of October 1, 2020, 173 charter schools operate in the state, and 65,987 K-12 students are enrolled (about 7.5% of the state’s K-12 public enrollment).
• More than 7,400 public charter schools across the United States provide individualized education and learning opportunities to more than 3 million students and their families. Forty-five states plus the District of Columbia have charter school laws and have strong federal bipartisan support. 
• Charter schools have open enrollment to the extent of capacity. PACT holds a lottery in February for K-12 students to establish the upcoming school year’s enrollment order.
• In Minnesota, charter schools are accountable to an authorizer and the Minnesota Department of Education. They operate under a written contract with the state and authorizer, which details how the school will be organized and managed, student expectations, and success management. Charter schools contract with the authorizer by current state statute and must be renewed at least every five years. PACT’s authorizer is Volunteers of America - MN. 
• Minnesota charter schools receive general state education aid to operate based on enrollment. Charter schools cannot tax citizens for additional revenue by initiating levies or other sources. State financial sources for charter schools are linked to the student’s resident school districts. Since PACT students come from many districts, the proportion of the tax money any community contributes is proportional to the enrollment of students from that community.

Minnesota charter schools are supported by the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools, of which PACT Charter School has been a member since 1994. PACT Charter School is district #4008.

Resources:
Education Commission
Federal Register
Minnesota Association of Charter Schools