FAQ

No. John Adams Academy is a tuition-free public charter school.

Charter schools are public schools as defined by federal and state law. They must meet the same academic standards that all public schools are required to meet. Charter schools are:

• Charter schools are public schools of choice – open to all students, tuition-free, and non-sectarian.
• Anyone can apply, and if more students want to enroll than there are spots, a fair public lottery is used.
• They are funded with local, state, and federal tax dollars, just like traditional public schools.
• Charter schools are often started by local teachers, parents, and community members who want to create new opportunities for students.
• They operate with more flexibility than traditional districts, but must still meet state and federal academic standards.
• Schools are closely monitored: they complete yearly financial audits, receive oversight from their authorizing district, and must show results to stay open.
• Charters are approved for five years at a time. Schools that succeed can be renewed, while those that don’t may be closed.
• In California, charter schools began with the Charter Schools Act of 1992. For more than 30 years, they’ve provided families with an innovative, common-sense public education option.

No. John Adams Academy is operated by a non-profit organization, John Adams Academies, Inc. Its board members are unpaid volunteers, providing a service to the community.

In California, public school funding follows the student, with the funding going to the public school the parents choose, whether a public charter school or a traditional district school. When public charter schools are funded, there is no overall loss of public school money because charter schools are public schools.

There are several different ways a charter school may obtain facilities. In some cases, the charter school buys or builds its own facility. In other cases, the charter school can lease a facility. In some districts, the district has provided or leased an existing facility to the charter school. Based on its investment grade credit rating, John Adams Academy has purchased its own campus in Roseville on very favorable financial terms. In like manner, in Lincoln and El Dorado Hills, John Adams Academy has done the same.

Yes. As required by California law, John Adams Academy hires credentialed teachers for all core and college preparatory subjects.

Yes. John Adams Academy provides special education services and is open to all scholars, irrespective of their needs. John Adams Academy partners with El Dorado County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) to provide programs necessary to serve the individualized educational needs of our scholars.

As a school of choice, John Adams Academy is open to any TK-12 grade child who wants to attend, regardless of where he or she lives in the state of California, space permitting.

Yes. Potential scholars who live within the boundaries of the authorizing school district receive a priority in the admissions process over those who live outside of the authorizing school district boundaries.

If there are more applications for a grade level than spaces available, John Adams Academy is required by California state law to conduct a public random lottery in order to offer out those spaces and establish a waitlist. As mentioned above, scholars within the district boundaries are given priority in the lottery process.

No. Public charter schools are schools of choice. No student is required to enroll, and no employee is required to work at a public charter school. John Adams Academy is open to any child, free of charge. Choice is a powerful tool for parents in making decisions for their children’s education.