About the Board
The Arizona State Board for Charter Schools (“Board”) was created through legislation in 1994 to grant charter status to qualifying applicants and to oversee charter schools. Charter schools are public, state-funded schools that operate under a charter contract with a charter school sponsor or authorizer. The Board, which oversees more than 500 charter schools throughout the state, is the largest charter school authorizer in Arizona and, according to the National Association for Charter School Authorizers, is the nation’s largest independent state authorizer.
In support of its mission to improve public education in Arizona by sponsoring charter schools that provide quality educational choices, the Board adopted a Strategic Plan in June 2011. To direct the activities of the Board, the plan includes three strategic goals:
- The Board will approve quality applications and grant charters to qualified applicants.
- To increase the quality of the Board’s portfolio of charter schools by monitoring academic performance and fiscal and contractual compliance.
- Promote the Board’s mission in providing quality educational choices.
