What are Independent Charters?
Independent Charter Schools (ICS) are charter schools that are not authorized by a public school district. They are created and governed under Wisconsin statutes chapter 118.40. Within that chapter, two types of Independent Charter Schools are created under sections 2r and 2x. These ICS are sometimes referred to as 2r/2x charters.
There are 35 2x/2r Charter Schools in Wisconsin with a total enrollment of 15,000 students. If they were combined into a single district, they would represent the poorest, most diverse district in Wisconsin outside of Milwaukee Public Schools.
Resources
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has an info page here: https://dpi.wi.gov/parental-education-options/charter-schools/independent
The Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau Paper here: Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau Information Paper on Charter Schools, January 2023
Additionally, WICSA works with Non-instrumentality Charter Schools which are chartered by local districts but have independent boards.