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

In the other version, Locke High is helping students catch up academically and make significant gains — more than meeting the mark to remain in operation as a privately governed charter school.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

For three years, he attended Alliance Leichtman-Levine, a small Los Angeles charter school near his home in South Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 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

Luma had gotten Bien into a nearby charter school that focused on immigrants and refugees.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John