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Frequently Asked Questions Below you will find some of the most frequently asked questions relating to Charter Schools in Pennsylvania, including the Bear Creek Community Charter School. We hope you find this information helpful. If you have any additional questions, please contact the school office at (570) 820-4070. Question - What is a charter school? Answer - Charter schools are exciting and innovative initiatives that are changing and improving the educational landscape in Pennsylvania and across America. Charter schools are independent public schools custom-designed by local citizens -- including parents, teachers and community leaders -- to fulfill a specific, often unique and always locally driven educational mission. Question - Why are charter schools so important? Answer - Charter public schools put communities in charge. They empower parents, teachers and communities to custom-design unique educational programs that meet the specific needs of their children. Charter public schools encourage competition and are designed to increase student achievement. Finally, charter public schools are more accountable than traditional public schools. The concept is simple: the charter school must clearly state its' educational goals and objectives and how it plans to achieve them. If the school does not meet the goal it sets, the community may not renew the charter and the school may close. Question - Why should school boards support the creation of public charter schools? Answer - Charter public schools enable communities to provide new and vibrant opportunities for their students and allow schools to operate without many of the costly and stifling mandates that hinder creativity and innovation in public education. Through the creation of charter public schools, school boards will see firsthand how further mandate relief can benefit all public schools in Pennsylvania. Also, charter schools foster innovation and serve as models for traditional public schools. Finally, through expanded community and parental involvement, charter public schools increase support for public education in Pennsylvania. Question - How is a public charter school funded? Answer - A charter public school receives funding from the school district in which the student resides. The charter school receives 80% of the amount the traditional home school district would spend on each student. For special education students, the charter public school receives an additional per pupil amount based upon the home school district's special education expenditures divided by the state-determined percentage of students eligible for special education funding. Funds received by charter public schools are taxpayer dollars that support students who are residents of local school districts. These funds are expended regardless of whether the students attend charter public schools or traditional public schools. Question - How will local taxes be affected by the creation of a public charter school? Answer - Successful, well-managed charter public schools can actually save taxpayers money. Charter schools can be a cost-effective solution to the problem of the increasing costs of public education. These schools operate more efficiently with less money per student than traditional public schools, since they are not bound by costly, bureaucratic state and local mandates. Successful charter public schools serve as models of efficiency that traditional public schools can emulate, thus resulting in additional savings to taxpayers. Question - Who can attend a charter school? Answer - Students are eligible to attend a charter public school at no charge to their families. The students of the school district that grants the charter receive first preference. Students from outside the district can attend tuition-free on a space-available basis. The district in which a student resides is responsible for charter public school funding. If there are more applicants than spaces available, students shall be selected by lottery. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Charter School Law permits schools to give preference to children of individuals who have been instrumental in the creation of the charter school as well as siblings of currently enrolled students. Question - Who grants the charter? Answer - Individuals or groups seeking to establish a charter public school must apply to the local school board of the district in which the school will be located. The application must outline the school's education mission and goals and its plan to achieve them. Question - What happens if a school board denies the charter school's application? Answer - On July 1, 1999, a State Charter Appeals Board (CAB) was constituted to hear appeals from groups that have been denied a charter, have had their charter revoked or have not had their charter renewed. The initial review by the locally elected board of directors recognizes the need for local oversight in establishing a charter public school. However, it is possible that a school board might consider the creation of new, innovative educational opportunities as a criticism of the public schools in its community. An appeal to an independent, regulatory panel (i.e. one without a direct stake in the outcome) will protect the integrity of the charter process by providing applicants with an opportunity to obtain an objective, impartial review. Question - How will the charter school accomodate my special needs child? Answer - When making educational placement decisions, we will ensure that parents are members of the group making these decisions and are subject to the requirements regarding provision of the least restrictive environment. The charter school will follow all other guidelines issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. If a child with an IEP (Individualized Educational Program) at a public school enrolls in our school, we will implement the existing IEP to the extent possible, or will provide an interim IEP agreed to by parents until a new IEP can be developed.		Health Services School History Recycling Board of Trustees Faculty & Staff Employment Opportunities Directions to School School Safety Emergency Alerts Monday's News PTO Newsletter 2006 - 2007 School Calendar Student Code of Conduct Volunteer Registration Forms Free & Reduced Lunch Forms Wellness Policy Parent Involvement Policy Bear Creek Nature Center Luzerne County Historical Society Bear Creek Volunteer Hose Company