School Start-up: I’m interested, but where do I get started?

I’ve taken about a dozen phone calls over the years from passionate folks who really want to make a difference and start a charter school—but many of these well-intentioned people don’t know how to get started. I’ve written a couple of successful charter applications and worked through multiple RTO (Ready to Open) cycles. I figured I’d write this blog post to share with people who ask me, but also to give future applicants a “quick start” guide on what to know before diving in.

Before you read any further—just know you’re signing up for a significant time investment. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it should give you a general idea of the process and what you’re getting into.

Timeline

Best practice is to give yourself about two years to put your application together and then another two years for the Ready to Open process. Here's how I’d recommend approaching it:

1. Identify Charter School Application Requirements

It sounds obvious, but too many people treat this as a last step. It’s a bear of a document and can be incredibly time-consuming. That’s why many folks end up hiring organizations to help—but if you’re bootstrapping, you’ll need to roll up your sleeves and start here. In North Carolina, you can read previously approved applications online. Don’t guess—study successful examples and take note of the detail and political capital involved.

2. Understand the Area You're Applying In

Make sure the population is large enough to support a school. You don’t want to propose serving 50% of a local student population on day one. In my opinion, you need to plan for at least 300 students to be financially viable. Before going too far, analyze the local educational landscape: how are nearby schools performing? What will make your school different? Charter schools should offer a meaningful alternative—not just another option.

3. Build a Mission Statement to Recruit Board Members

You can approach this step in either order:

• Create your mission to help recruit board members

• Or build it in collaboration with your community

I think both work. You might start with a draft and refine it based on stakeholder input. When recruiting board members, aim for a qualified and diverse group. For example, some good areas of expertise include legal, financial, marketing, and educational experience. Maybe your eventual school leader joins the board temporarily, then steps into the operational role post-approval.

Side note: In NC, you don’t have to get your 501(c)(3) right away—but I recommend doing it early so you can start fundraising. You’re going to need it.

4. Engage Your Community

You can’t submit a strong application without community engagement. Survey parents, talk to business leaders, gather endorsements, and build political capital. At the end of the day, your school will receive public dollars—dollars that would otherwise go to the district. That’s why charter applications are inherently political: millions of dollars are on the line. Show that the school is both needed and wanted in your area.

5. Write and Finalize Your Application

Yes, again. Now you’re actually writing it. You’ll integrate what you’ve learned from the community, stakeholders, and partners. Some folks end up spending several thousand dollars on help at this point. Whether you do or don’t, just make sure the application tells a compelling and clear story.

6. Interview Process

Now it gets real. Review board members will likely tell your consultant, management company, or application writer to take a seat. They’re going to grill your board directly to make sure you’re not just a “ghost board.” Do mock interviews, know your stuff, and be ready. You can’t fake this part.

7. RTO Process

Tired yet? Because this is just the beginning. You'll be handed a spreadsheet with around 100 rows full of policies, procedures, and checkpoints to complete before opening. You’ll need to:

• Secure and upfit a facility

• Market the school

• Access state systems

• Develop a litany of policy and procedures

• Process applications

  
  

  ...and that’s just scratching the surface.

I highly recommend you not submit an accelerated application unless you have a support organization or management company backing you. Those are two different things—and I’ll cover the difference in a later post.

It’s not a full list, but hopefully it gives you a realistic idea of what this journey entails. If you’re still excited—great! You’ll need that passion to get you through the next few years. If you get to the point you are getting to the application – give me a call. I have the experience and team to see you be successful and I’m not going to be passing you along to an associate – we will be working together, as thought partners.