Program: About Charter Schools
Charter schools are public schools run by independent organizations rather than the local school district. Charter schools are granted some level of autonomy and freedom from certain regulations. For example, charter schools may hire their own staff, develop their own curriculum and set their own educational programs under the oversight of the school board and sponsor. Charter schools are offered this measure of freedom in exchange for a level of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter.

Benefits
Charter school programs are intended to promote educational innovation and diversification of educational programs. While the Beaverton School District has not had funds to develop and provide its own Mandarin immersion program, the school district is able to offer this opportunity to students via an independently operated charter school. Because of the additional freedom given to charter schools, HCCS has the ability to offer highly effective learning environments, to hire its own teachers, to offer teachers more influence on program design and school governance, and has the potential to attract more motivated students who are willing to make the extra effort to attend.

Why Support HCCS?
Charter schools receive funds on a per-student basis from the state in which they operate, just like traditional public schools do. However, the level of funding per child is lower. HCCS receives only 80% of state funds per child compared to district-run public schools. Therefore, we need volunteer and financial support in order to provide our program. HCCS has an approval from the Beaverton School District to open the school in 2012 for grades K-1. In order to reach that goal, we need donations and volunteer support to accomplish the many tasks required to start a new school. If you would like to enroll your child in 2012, please consider offering support!

Accountability
Charter schools are overseen by their charter sponsor. The charter sponsor for HCCS is the Beaverton School District (BSD). If HCCS does not meet specific standards as determined by the State of Oregon and BSD, the school's charter may not be renewed and the school could be shut down. A charter school is also required to be accountable to its Board of Trustees, which bears responsibility for meeting the requirements of the charter. Most importantly, charter schools are held accountable by parents who are there by choice and can leave if the school is not performing up to their expectations.

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