National Charter School Week, recognized May 10-16 this year, is a good opportunity to look at how charter schools are growing in Iowa and what that means for families.
Charter schools are public schools. They are tuition-free, open to students, and designed to provide another option within public education. According to the National Alliance for Public Charter School, nationally, charter schools serve 3.8 million students, representing 7.6 percent of all public school students, across approximately 8,150 charter schools. Iowa currently has a certified enrollment of 1,594 students in the state’s public charter schools.
But Iowa’s charter school story is especially significant because of how much has changed in just a few years.
From Two Charter Schools to 18 by 2027
Before Iowa updated its charter school law in 2021, charter schools were rare in the state. Iowa had only two charter schools: one in Storm Lake and one in Maynard. Both were created under the older, district-centered charter school law. Reporting at the time noted that Iowa had just those two charter schools before lawmakers considered expanding the law.
Iowa’s original charter school law was established in 2002 under Iowa Code 256F. Under that framework, charter schools were tied closely to local school districts. The Iowa Department of Education notes that charter schools established before July 1, 2021, remain subject to the old law, but no additional charter schools may now be created under it.
That changed when Iowa enacted Iowa Code 256E in 2021. Under the current law, new charter schools must follow 256E, and the Iowa State Board of Education serves as the authorizer. The current law allows charter schools to be created through a school board model or through an independent founding group model. The Iowa Department of Education explains that an independent founding group may establish and operate a charter school within the boundaries of the state.
That independent founding group pathway is the biggest difference between Iowa’s old law and its current law. Before 2021, charter schools were essentially district-driven. After 2021, Iowa created a path for independent public charter schools authorized by the State Board of Education.
The results are clear. Iowa had only two charter schools before the 2021 law change. Today, the Iowa Department of Education lists 10 open charter schools. If the schools currently listed as opening in 2026 and 2027 open as scheduled, Iowa will have 18 charter schools operating by the 2027-28 school year.
Flexibility With Accountability
Charter schools have flexibility, but they are not free from oversight. The Iowa Department of Education describes a charter school as a public school operating under a five-year charter granted by the Iowa State Board of Education. A charter school has freedom to organize around a core mission, curriculum, theme, or teaching method, while controlling its own budget and hiring teachers and staff. In return, it must attract students and produce positive results within five years or risk losing its charter.
Charter schools must also submit annual reports to the State Board by October 1. Those reports help evaluate academic performance, student achievement, graduation rates, financial performance, and compliance with the school’s performance framework.
One More Option for Iowa Families
Charter schools are not the only form of school choice in Iowa, but they are an important part of the state’s growing education landscape. They give families another public school option, while giving educators and community leaders room to build schools around a specific mission, model, or student need.
That matters because students are not all the same. Some thrive in a traditional district school. Others may benefit from a smaller environment, a career-focused model, a STEM emphasis, a college-preparatory approach, or another public school option.
During National Charter School Week, Iowa should recognize how far charter schools have come. In just a few years, the state has moved from two charter schools to a growing network of public school options serving families in communities across Iowa.