Tuition-free charter schools provide parents a choice within public education. Primarily funded with public, local, state and federal tax dollars that follow the child to a charter school. The schools have open enrollment with no discrimination or religious affiliations. They are governed by a private non-profit board of directors, which is autonomous from the elected local boards of education operating the traditional school system.
To learn more about charter schools, check out these websites:
- US Charter Schools – uscharterschools.or
- Public Schools of North Carolina, Office of Charter Schools – ncpublicschools.org/charterschools
Moore County has three charter schools:
The Academy of Moore County
12588 Hwy 15-501 South
Aberdeen NC 28315
academyofmoorecounty.com
Grades K–5
Established in 1997, the Academy of Moore County is a charter school with the atmosphere of a private school including small classes, uniforms and a highly trained teaching staff. The school focuses on preparing students for high school honors classes.
Enrollment at the Academy is open to students in grades K–5 in Moore and the surrounding counties. The Academy adheres to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study with emphasis on a well rounded, traditional education.
Sandhills Theatre Arts Renaissance School (STARS)
140 Southern Dunes Dr., Vass, NC 28394 (910) 695-1005 – sandhillsrenaissance.com
Grades K–6
Sandhills Theatre Arts Renaissance School adheres to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, but infuses this curriculum with arts integration in the classroom. STARS is one of 35 recognized A+ schools in North Carolina. The school achieved this recognition by having their staff become trained in arts-integration methods of teaching and assessment.
In addition to supplementing the Standard Course of Study with the A+ curriculum, the STARS Middle School will borrow from the tenets of the Core Knowledge/Cultural Literacy curriculum developed by E.D. Hirsch, Ed.
Moore Montessori Community School is open to any resident of NC, has open registration in January and holds their lottery in February of each year for the next fall. It is a Montessori based education with lots of student lead, hands-on learning opportunities. Their website is MooreMontessori.org for more info. It is one of only 500 public Montessori schools in the nation!