The R.I. League of Charter Schools welcomed nearly 100 families to our fair to learn more about our 20 public schools across the state and receive assistance completing an application. The high attendance reflects the increased demand for charter schools over the past few years. Rhode Island charter schools received a record 23,263 applications in 2022 for 2,353 available seats, a 17% increase from the prior school year.
For families that were unable to attend, our website provides a wealth of information, including school profiles. Charter schools continue to host in-person open houses on a rolling basis, as well. Click here to view our calendar.
Applications Open for 2023-24 School Year – Deadline March 16
Charter schools are free and open to all. Enrollment is determined through a lottery system. To apply to a charter school for the 2023-24 school year, families may submit an application through March 16, 2023, at 5 pm at enrollri.org/charter. Information and directions are available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Upcoming Open Houses
RI Nurses Middle College (150 Washington Street, Providence): Tuesday, February 28, 5 – 6 pm; Tuesday, March 14, 5 – 6 pm
International Charter School (334 Pleasant Street, Pawtucket): Saturday, March 4, 10 am – 12 pm
Village Green Virtual Charter School (135 Weybosset Street, Providence): Saturday, March 4, 10 am – 12 pm
Blackstone Academy Charter School (334 Pleasant Street, Pawtucket): Saturday, March 4, 1:30 – 3 pm
Beacon Charter High School (320 Main Street, Woonsocket): Tuesday, March 7, 5 pm
Founders Academy (1 Social Street, Woonsocket): Tuesday, March 7, 6:30 pm
The Charter Schools Program (CSP) is the nation’s only source of federal funding for new, expanding, and replicating charter schools. Still, it has been flat-funded at $440 million for the past four years—less than 1% of the country’s total public education budget.
We are asking Congress for $500 million to ensure charter schools are able to continue to open in the communities that want and need them. It is particularly important that CSP funding effectively supports charter school facilities.
Contact your Members of Congress to remind them to protect all children’s access to a high-quality, public education.
Rhode Island League of Charter Schools Executive Director Keith Oliveira joined 12 News at 4 Tuesday to highlight National School Choice Week. Watch the full interview here.
PROVIDENCE, RI — The Rhode Island League of Charter Schools is holding a Charter School Fair for prospective families and students on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Times2 STEM Academy (50 Fillmore Street, Providence), they announced today.
At the fair, families can meet with representatives from 20 charter schools around Rhode Island and receive assistance completing an application.
“We are thrilled to welcome families back to our Charter School Fair in-person for the first time in three years,” said Keith Oliveira, executive director of the Rhode Island League of Charter Schools. “Parents who want a choice for their child can explore the best option and school model. Applications for all charter schools in Rhode Island are due in March.”
Charter schools are free, open to all, and provide options to families seeking a different educational path for their child. The enrollment period for the 2023-24 school year opened in November and runs through March 16, 2023, at 5:00 pm. Students are selected based on a blind lottery. Those looking to begin their application to any charter school may visit enrollri.org and set up an account. Instructions are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Demand for charter schools continues to increase. According to data provided by the Rhode Island Department of Education, Rhode Island charter schools received a record 23,263 applications in 2022 for 2,353 available seats, a 17% increase from the 2021-22 school year. Total applications have increased by more than 27% in the last five years and more than doubled since 2014-15.
Our 20 schools serve the public, are free and open to the public, funded by the public and held accountable to the public. We enroll students through a fair and transparent lottery system, which is open to all students, including many from low income, diverse communities.
We collaborate
Whether we’re working with traditional public school leaders or a team of teachers is working collaboratively within their own department, we are always seeking new ways to improve student achievement. We work closely with families and community partners, providing invaluable educational experiences for students that don’t end once students leave their classrooms. We have flexibility around how we spend our resources and run our programs, helping us explore best practices and share them with both charter and traditional public schools.
We succeed
We teach differently because we know that students learn differently. We find innovative approaches to each lesson and we don’t stop until we know what works. We are striving every day to close the achievement gap in our public schools and have shown strong results on state testing and other measures of success.
