charter school

American  

[chahr-ter skool] / ˈtʃɑr tər ˌskul /

noun

charter schools plural

1. an autonomous public school created by a contract between a sponsor, as a local school district or corporation, and an organizer, as a group of teachers or a community group, often with a curriculum or focus that is not traditional.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• charter schools
  plural

Etymology

Origin of charter school

First recorded in 1800–10; current use dates from 1985–90

Example Sentences

But the charter school, operated by Green Dot Public Schools, has many community supporters.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

Southeast Academy in Norwalk is a public charter school offering a high school education with a military and law enforcement focus to a diverse and coeducational student body.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

In response, districts including Malakoff ISD in Texas and at least one charter school in Arizona canceled scheduled Lifetouch photos, with some officials announcing they would keep pictures “in-house for the rest of the year.”

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026

A public charter school in El Segundo, Calif., is taking another novel approach to instilling financial literacy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 8, 2026

It is a small charter school, public, just 140 students, but U.S.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel