Texas League of Community Charter Schools

The Texas League of Community Charter Schools is a statewide member association of Texas open-enrollment charter schools and operators. The member schools consist of highly innovative and quality-focused small, mid-sized and community charter schools.

We were organized in May 2014 to confront litigation and address legislation through appropriate legal action that attempts to strip Texas Charter Holders of their property rights and due process rights. These legal issues attempt to undermine the very foundations of the Texas charter school movement.

Litigation News

Schulman, Lopez & Hoffer, LLP (SLH), filed suit on behalf of American YouthWorks, one of the six charters facing closure, in Travis County District Court, challenging Senate Bill 2 and the TEA’s actions as unconstitutional and a violation of American YouthWorks’ constitutional and corporate due process rights.

SLH was successful (along with counsel for the other schools) in seeking a Temporary Injunction from the Trial Court of the TEA’s closure order, staying the revocation and setting trial for November 2014. However, the State is attempting to circumvent the Trial Court’s Temporary Injunction. In doing so, the State has made significant legal arguments that shake the very foundation of our charter school system.

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To learn more about these issues, please click on the Litigation News link. To help or learn about joining the League, click on How Can I Help.

Who are Community Charter Schools?

We are nonprofit corporations that are accredited to operate open-enrollment charter schools. We seek to provide innovative learning opportunities to all children in accordance with Texas law.
We are charter schools who were founded because of community need and community action.
We are charter schools serving predominantly at risk, educationally disadvantaged, and the meek.
We are service oriented, responsive to parents and the community and accountable to the public and we generally have school boards who are predominantly from the communities we serve.
All of our programs are different and unique, tailored for the realities of our diverse student populations. We recognize there is no one size fits all answer in education and value and cherish the freedoms the Texas charter school movement has offered.
We all have a desire to safeguard the educational freedom intended by Texas Statute for charter schools and to give meaningful choices to parents.

2015 Educational and Legislative Priorities

There are three critical elements to charter school success. The League will work with stakeholders in the charter school sector to educate parents, the community and the Legislature working toward sensible legislation that allows quality small, midsize and community charter schools to thrive, while holding all charter schools (big and small) accountable to the public in a meaningful and appropriate manner:

1) Support legislation confirming that 501(c)(3) charities operating charter schools are not simply another governmental entity tied down by governmental red tape and rules, but are nonprofits held directly accountable to the public they serve.

2) Support legislation confirming that nonprofit charter schools have due process, property and constitutional rights, the same rights the Supreme Court has recognized for other nonprofits and corporate persons. These rights protect the public's "choice" in education. Without these rights charter schools will lose their flexibility, and this is happening right now! Charter schools are being forced by state regulators to look and act just like school districts. This was never the Legislature's intent and if it continues, there will no longer be any real "choice" in school choice.

3) Support legislation to preserve charter school autonomy and flexibility. Over the years the autonomy of charter schools has slowly been eroded and parents ultimately suffer when their charter schools no longer have the ability to be innovative, flexible and responsive.