1.  CORPORATE DONATIONS AND/OR SPONSHORSHIP  SCHOOL FUNDRAISING  PRIVATE DONATIONS  MONEY FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT

2.  Ray Budde {Professor from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst} and Albert Shanker, who in 1988 was the President of the American Federation of Teachers, are responsible for starting the charter school “revolution”.  First charter school law was passed in Minnesota in 1991, and the second was in California in 1992.

3.  Nearly 1,500,000 students enrolled in almost 4,700 charter schools in 40 states to also include the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.  South Carolina has 45 charter schools with an estimated student enrollment of 12,627. Charter Laws were passed in South Carolina in 1996.  Horry County has 2 current charter schools open and 2 newly approved charter schools.  Charleston County has 8 charter schools; the most of any district in South Carolina.

4.  Bridgewater Academy  Palmetto Academy for Learning and Success  Palmetto Academy for Learning Motorsports*  The Academy of Hope * * {Newly approved}

5.  According to this website: “A charter school is entitled to receive local, state and federal funds based on its student population. The district distributes local and state funds to the school.”  Certain factors are taken into account such as student enrollment, average daily attendance, and programs offered to students such as gifted and talented, and special education to name a few.

6.  Start-up charter schools can operate with no more than 25% of their teachers non-certified. However, they do have to follow the federal standards set forth by NCLB in all core areas. Typically these schools will require their teachers to receive full certification from the State of South Carolina.  PACE teachers can be hired.  Benefits and pay scales are very similar to traditional school district allotments.

7.  According to www.edreform.com, in 2007-2008, South Carolina received an average of $9,643 per student. For the 2009-2010 school year Horry County received $12,563. {It varies from district to district}  Charter schools received $6,155. That’s only 49%. Only two other states in America are lower than us. New Hampshire with 37% and Alaska with 45%.  The three highest percentages are 99% in Missouri, 94% in Minnesota, and 92% in Idaho.

8.  Security Vision  CiCi’s Pizza  Home Depot  Myrtle Beach Speedway  Dunkin Donuts  AVAC  Wrangler Jeans  Friendly’s  Marble Slab Creamery  Medieval Times  Glidden Paints  Bob Evans

9. West Virginia Maine Vermont Kentucky Alabama Nebraska South Dakota North Dakota Montana Washington

10. StateNumber of SchoolsYear charter law passed Enrollment South Carolina45199612,627 Wyoming41995505 Virginia41998341 California9411992348,686 Minnesota180199132,776 Ohio3681997114,554 Connecticut2219964992 New York186199847,364 North Carolina104199636,577 Pennsylvania155199785,142 Illinois99200937,860