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About

What is the Commission?

The Maine Charter School Commission was created by Public Law 2011, Chapter 414, to authorize and oversee public charter schools in Maine. Maine can have a total of ten (10) authorized schools operating at any given time. 

 

Maine’s charter school law provides guidance for the Commission in the following areas:

 

  1. Content of applications that must be filled by charter school founders;

  2. Execution of charter school contracts with the charter school’s governing boards;

  3. Oversight of charter schools it has authorized, including academic and operational accountability;

  4. Analysis of data provided to the Commission by the charter school; and

  5. Monitoring to ensure legal compliance with all applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations.

 

The Commission consists of seven (7) members. Three (3) members must be members of the State Board of Education, appointed by the State Board for 3-year terms, and the other four (4) members are appointed by the Governor, subject to review by the Joint Standing Committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters and to confirmation by the Senate, for 4-year terms.

 

The Commission’s work is driven by the following Values:

 

  • Excellence: Pursue high-quality schools with excellent student outcomes.

  • Equity: Promote diversity, equity and inclusion as strengths that contribute to innovative and successful schools.

  • Students First: Ground our actions in promoting great opportunities for students and families.

  • Collaboration: Work with schools and community stakeholders to shape excellent schools grounded in trust.

  • Accountability: Hold ourselves and schools to rigorous standards using a high bar for quality and transparency.

  • Innovation: Encourage dynamic, new and different educational models that expand opportunities for students.

What is a Charter Public School?

Charter public schools are tuition-free, public, and open to all. They receive public funding and are held to the highest standards and oversight of any public school in the state.

 

The first enactment of charter school enabling legislation was in Minnesota in 1991. According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, 46 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam have charter schools; 3.7 million students are enrolled in 8,100 charter schools nationwide; there are 250,000 teachers teaching in charter schools; and the portion of U.S. Department of Education of Education budget allocated to the Charter Schools Program is less than 1%.

 

Charter schools are created and governed by volunteers in a non-profit organization, and operated independently of the traditional public school system. Charter schools have some flexibility that traditional public schools may not have over decisions concerning curriculum and instruction, scheduling, staffing and finance.

 

In return for this flexibility, charter schools are held accountable to the terms of contracts (their charters) that authorize their existence. In addition, they must adhere to all applicable federal laws, health and safety laws, and the same academic standards to which all public schools are accountable.

 

Each charter school must be authorized by a charter school “authorizer”. Maine’s law designates as authorizers: (1) the Maine Charter School Commission; (2) a local school board; or (3) a collaborative of school boards working together.

 

A charter school is awarded a charter if its application is approved by its authorizer after a rigorous review process. At that point, a contract is negotiated specifying the measures by which the school will be evaluated as the authorizer monitors the school’s performance, especially in the areas of finance and academics.

 

When Public Law 2011, Chapter 414 took effect in 2011, Maine became the 41st state to allow public charter schools.

 

Initial Charter contracts for schools authorized by the Maine Charter School Commission are for five years, over which time the MCSC carefully analyzes the school’s performance. Schools that are financially stable and achieve positive student outcomes may be renewed for an additional five or more years.


Maine’s first charter schools opened in the 2012-13 school year, and today the following nine charter schools enroll approximately 2,800 students and are authorized by the Maine Charter School Commission to operate in Maine – ACADIA Academy, Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, Community Regional Charter School, Ecology Learning Center, Fiddlehead School of Arts & Sciences, Maine Academy of Natural Sciences, Maine Arts Academy, Maine Connections Academy and Maine Virtual Academy. MOXIE Public Schools’ application was approved in May 2025 and will open in the Fall 2026.

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