Charter public schools give parents and children of all backgrounds and income levels the power and the responsibility to choose the best educational option for their children. If there are more applications submitted than available openings, the school must hold a "lottery" to select students. However, different charter schools have different requirements and deadlines when it comes to the actual application process.

Click here for a list of charter public schools in Chicago with a brief description about the school and application information, where available.

“I chose charter schools because I was not satisfied with the schools that were in my community, with my neighborhood schools. Over the years I’ve made sure my boys had the best education. I found that when they started to get to the upper elementary grades they were having a lot of difficulties with the system – academically and with other students…so I chose to try to find some other type of system where they could really stabilize themselves and focus on their education.”

• Students in Chicago’s charter public high schools are much more likely to graduate (77%) than traditional public high schools (66%)
• Students in Chicago’s charter public schools are much less likely to be truant (94% attendance) or transfer to another school (only a 6% transfer out rate)
• At elementary charter schools, the achievement gap is narrowing. Currently, 60% or more students in every subgroup are meeting or exceeding state standards on the ISAT