FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 


This FAQ page answers common questions about charter schools in general. Specific information on either Sage International of Boise or Forge can be found on those school page's FAQs. Please contact us by emailing [email protected] if you have questions regarding these FAQs, information on our website, or any topics we did not cover.

Sage International Network of Schools are free, public charter schools authorized by the Idaho Public Charter School Commission. Sage International of Boise is not a part of the Boise School District and Forge International is not part of the Middleton School District. Please click the links below for important information regarding what it means to be a public charter school in Idaho.


CHARTER SCHOOLS - General Information

The following links provide general information about Idaho charter schools: 
 

·        Click here for the Idaho Department of Education’s Charter School Page.

·        Click here to go to the Idaho Public Charter School Commission’s (PCSC) web site.

·        Click here to go to Idaho’s Public Charter School statute.

·        Click here to go to Idaho’s Administrative Rules Governing Public Charter Schools.


Why does Idaho include charter schools within its public school system?
 

Charter schools are public schools and are intended to expand and enhance public education options in Idaho for students, teachers, families and the community by offering innovative education models that do not otherwise exist in the traditional public school system. In short, charter schools are designed to be different and to provide clear education choices - a charter school should not look, feel, and teach like area traditional public schools.  

When the Idaho Legislature enacted Idaho’s charter school laws in 1998, they offered the following reasons for creating public charter schools: (1) To improve student learning; (2) To increase learning opportunities for all students, with special emphasis on expanded learning experiences for students; (3) To include the use of different and innovative teaching methods; (4) To utilize virtual distance learning and on-line learning; (5) To create new professional opportunities for teachers, including the opportunity to be responsible for the learning program at the school site; (6) To provide parents and students with expanded choices in the types of educational opportunities that are available within the public school system; and (7) To hold the schools established under this chapter accountable for meeting measurable student educational standards.

What does the word ‘charter’ refer to in ‘Charter School’?

A ‘charter’ is a document that a school submits to the State Board of Education (Idaho Charter Commission) seeking ‘authorization’ to become a publicly funded school of choice. The charter document explains exactly what that school will offer - it explains the school’s purpose and mission, size, curriculum, grade levels, growth plan, etc.  In other words, it informs families what they are ‘choosing’ when they consider attending that school. 

When a charter school is proposed and goes through the authorization process, it must define what it is going to offer that is otherwise not offered by area district schools. If the charter is approved or ‘authorized’, the State gives the founding Board and Executive Director the autonomy and funding to build the best school they can in accordance with the charter. The school’s funding and continued existence are tied to delivering on their charter commitments. If the board and leadership stray from their charter (aka mission drift), the school will lose its funding and will, in all likelihood, close. Because the charter defines the unique opportunities the school offers, families understand the choice they are making by attending that school.  

How are charter schools different than traditional public schools?

Charter schools in Idaho exist to offer educational ‘choices’ that differ from what other public school districts offer to public school students. Charters are not intended to mimic large, traditional school districts and do not have the ‘economies of scale’ (financially or personnel-wise) to offer everything a traditional school district can offer - they are meant to be different. 

Comparing the Boise District to Sage International of Boise highlights these differences - if you think of the Boise District and Sage International as businesses, the Boise District is Microsoft and Sage International is a new, growing tech startup. 

The Boise School District has existed since 1881. The Boise District constructed and paid for many of its schools over 100 years ago and has run a similar number of students and grade levels through certain schools for decades. Currently, the Boise District has 48 schools with over 26,000 students and a full-time staff of 2,600. District schools often cover 10-20 acres and have their own football fields and athletic complexes. The 48 district schools are a great option for many area families.  

In contrast, Sage International School of Boise first opened in 2010. Over the last eight years, Sage has grown from 218 students in K-7 grades to our current enrollment of 1,025 students in K-12 grades. Sage financed the purchase of its campus in 2016 and expends 13% of its total revenues each year. Sage has just under 100 employees. Both Sage International School  and Forge International School are ‘chartered’ to provide the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum and French and Spanish language instruction - while also meeting all State of Idaho curriculum and assessment requirements that traditional schools meet. Each school under the Sage International Network of Schools are their own ‘school district’, intended to be different and innovative, with a great deal of autonomy within its charter parameters.

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