All About Charter Schools inIowa: Charter Legislation and Law, Charter School Numbers, Enrollment and Academic Achievement, and Charter School Resources and Support Organization Contacts, as well as Iowa Department of Education Charter School Offices

Charter Schools in Iowa

Law:  Passed April 2002.

Rank:   2nd weakest of the nation's 40 charter school laws.

CER Grade:  F

Schools:   0

Students:   0

DEVELOPMENTS:

WHAT'S IN A NAME: Iowa’s charter law comes in as a dismal "F," making it unlikely that genuine, autonomous charters will come to be -- a law in name only. Charter School Laws Across the States: Ranking Scorecard and Legislative Profiles, January 2003.

WEAK AND DIZZY: A weak charter school bill was signed into law by Iowa's Governor on April 23, 2002. This law will likely not even result in a CER rating compared with other laws since it gives only public schools - with all their attendant regulations - the option of organizing a charter school. Get more details in the June 2002 Monthly Letter and the Back to School 2002 Monthly Letter, and stay tuned for a full CER analysis.

DEVILISH DETAILS: It looks like Iowa may be about to enact the nation's 39th charter law, but before you cheer, consider the contents of the bill that passed both houses of the legislature: Ten charter schools would be permitted to be started by school districts; there would be a very limited waiver from most regulations and no waiver from existing union contracts. Funds would be sparse, and approval laborious. Not really a charter law, in our book. From CER Newswire, April 16, 2002.