SCHOOLS

Operating Schools

35

With a cap of only six new schools per year and only one per school district, Idaho's charter school growth has been slow since its law was passed in 1998.

Total Enrollment

10,936

Resource

The National Charter School Directory offers complete listings, including school address, program description, and website.

LAW

Grade

C

Rank

24th out of 40 laws

Resource

CER's 2010 point-by-point profile of Idaho's charter law looks at approval process, operations, funding, and teacher and student provisions.

EQUITY

Funding

Student funding is similar to other public schools, but charters are treated differently if they suffer a large enrollment drop -
public schools may receive 99 percent of the previous year's funds; charters do not and suffer large revenue losses.

Resource

More information on equity issues at Charter School Funding: Following the Money.

ACHIEVEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Test Scores

According to testing data from the 2006–07 school year, charter schools are faring well in comparison to their conventional public school counterparts. Eighty-seven percent of charter students demonstrated proficiency in reading, 81 percent of charter students achieved this level in math, and 74 percent were proficient in language arts.

Closures

As of February 2009, one approved charter school never opened and one school closed when facilities costs led to financial difficulties.

Resource

Accountability Report 2009: Charter Schools: In-depth information about charter achievement and accountability, including state-by-state analyses and closure listings.