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.

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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

Charter school backers, including Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and philanthropist Eli Broad, spent around $23 million on efforts to boost his campaign.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

Charter school facilities are not overseen by DGS.

From Washington Post • Jul. 14, 2022

Charter school supporters are regrouping after disappointing results in the California governor primary.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 10, 2018

Charter school teachers, like the teaching profession nationally, are predominately white.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2016

Charter school advocates can appeal to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education when local boards reject their applications.

From Washington Times • Apr. 15, 2016