What are Charter Schools?

Charter schools are free public schools that operate independently within the public
school system. They provide teachers and staff flexibility in deciding their curriculum, staffing,
and budgets with the goal of improving student achievement. Common reasons that some
Jordan School District parents have chosen charter schools for their children are to avoid
growth-related issues such as year-round schedules or crowded classrooms, or for the
alternative curriculum provided.
The first charter school law was passed in Minnesota in 1991. Today there are 4,000
charter schools in forty states and Washington, D.C. Utah currently has 58 charter schools
located in 13 of our 27 counties.
The Utah Legislature has exempted charter schools from some state laws and State Board
of Education rules. For example, charter schools are exempt from negotiated agreements
regarding the hiring, employment conditions, and dismissal of employees. Employees at
charter schools are “at-will” employees. Each Utah charter school also chooses whether or not
to participate in the Utah Retirement System. Many Utah charter schools offer defined
contribution plans (such as 401-K contributions) in place of the URS defined benefit plan.
Charter schools are chartered either by the local district or by the State Charter School
Board. Itineris Early College High School is the only district-chartered school in the Jordan
School District.

 

School Name	Average Beginning Salary	Average Salary	Average Retirement Contribution	%	URS Defined Contribution	Offer a 401(k) or a 403(b)
Navigator Pointe Academy	$27,240	$28,213	$2,539	9.00%	No	yes
Channing Hall	$28,571	$34,096	$3,409	10.00%	No	yes
North Star Academy	$27,399	$33,641	$5,100	15.16%	No	yes
American Preparatory Academy	$25,941	$29,446	$4,629	15.72%	No	yes
Itineris Early College		$33,297	$5,234	15.72%	Yes	yes
Jordan School District	$28,714	$39,933	$6,277	15.72%	Yes	yes
Paradigm High School	$28,006	$30,082	$4,729	15.72%	No	yes
Summit Academy		$32,203	$5,062	15.72%	Yes	yes