Truth Summary
Charter schools are free public schools run independently from school districts. Each has a local governing board that decides who will manage the school. Those boards report to a sponsor, also sometimes called an authorizer. In Indiana, the legislature has given the state charter board, universities, school districts and the Indianapolis mayor the authority to be sponsors.
Sponsors have the authority to decide when charter schools to open, monitor their progress toward and hold them accountable for their performance, which can include shutting them down.
