​​ The information below relies heavily on the California Department of Education’s website at http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cs/re/cefcharterschools.asp, and, where applicable, Santa Clara County Board of Education policy. The California Education Code is referred to below as Education Code or EC. These FAQs will be expanded periodically to include additional questions and answers.

1. Q:  What are the instructional time requirements for a charter school?
   A:  A charter school must offer the minimum number of annual minutes by grade level as required by California Education Code (EC) sections 47612.5 and 46201(a)(3).
   

   Charter schools are required to operate 175 days to receive a full apportionment but have scheduling flexibility for meeting the total annual minute requirement within the fiscal year.​​​​
   

2. Q:  Must charter schools develop a School Accountability Report Card?
   A:  Yes. Article XVI Section 8.5(e) of the California Constitution requires that a "school district maintaining an elementary or secondary school shall develop and cause to be prepared an annual audit accounting for such funds and shall adopt a School Accountability Report Card [SARC] for each school.”​​
   

3. Q:  Can a charter school require each student to participate in state testing?
   A:  Charter school pupils are required to participate in all statewide assessments that are applicable to pupils in non-charter public schools. Parents have the right to waive, under specified conditions, state testing requirements for the STAR program. A charter school cannot disregard or take away this parental right.​
   

4. Q:  Are charter schools required to complete an Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)?
   A:  Yes.  Charter schools are public schools which receive state monies through the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF).  As part of receiving these funds, all schools - including charters - are required to create an LCAP to explain how those funds were used in correlation with the school’s adopted budget process.  While districts are required to complete a three (3) year plan which is approved by their county office of education and the State, charter schools only need complete a one (1) year plan which is submitted to their county office of education and the State.