Arizona laws give charter operators more flexibility than traditional public schools receive.
Basis Charter Schools Inc. attributes much of its success to Arizona laws that give charter operators more flexibility than traditional public schools receive.
The Arizona Legislature created charter schools in 1994. Today, there are more than 500 in the state, with roughly 180,000 students. In 2016-17, about 16 percent of Arizona students attended a charter school, according to state records.
Charter enrollment has continued to grow in recent years, as the Legislature has limited growth in funding for public education.
Charters have contracts with the state but do not have to comply with some of the regulations governing traditional public schools.
Like district schools, charters cannot charge tuition.
They are not required to use certified teachers, but instead can hire people with expertise in certain fields, including those with advanced degrees.
They do not have to comply with conflict-of-interest policies or procurement laws intended to prevent financial selfdealing.
Charter operators contend this freedom allows them to run schools more efficiently than traditional public schools.
Critics say the lack of transparency makes charters less accountable in how they spend taxpayer money.
Basis Chairman Craig Barrett, former chief executive at Intel Corp., said less government red tape has allowed Basis to thrive and operate some of the best high schools in the nation.
Basis has grown from one school with 50 students, in 1998, to 20 schools in Arizona with 13,774 students. It also has three schools in San Antonio and one in Washington, D.C.
Charter operators say parents choose charter schools for academic reasons or to pursue specialized studies, such as music or drama.
Some charter operators, like Basis, also have smaller class sizes than traditional public schools.
However, charter schools typically don’t provide all the services of traditional public schools. And critics say they are reluctant to accept all students — especially those with severe disabilities or behavioral problems.