State Oversight of Charter Schools (2016)

Colorado law provides distinct roles for the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) and the State Board of Education (state board) in overseeing charter schools. Colorado's charter schools are authorized through a local school district or the state Charter School Institute (CSI). The CSI was created in 2004 as an independent agency within CDE. It currently authorizes 35 charter schools, and is the only statewide, non-district authorizer. While most of the state oversight falls under the purview of the state board, the CDE is responsible for conducting an evaluation of the state's charter schools and for resolving disputes pertaining to charter school financing.