Charter Approval:

In 2014, Academy of Hope made the transition from community based nonprofit to a publicly funded adult charter school. As an Adult Charter School the most dramatic change for AoH has been its transformation from an NGO relying on heavily upon fundraising for survival to a school that receives more than 75% of its funding from the District of Columbia. The transition to charter has not been without its challenges. The school now operates in a high stakes environment with additional compliance requirements and significant accountability for student performance and success. The transition has also come with significant financial benefits. Prior to charter, AoH’s annual budget was $1.5 million per year. As a charter, our budget is now well over $5 million dollars annually. While the financial situation of the school has improved significantly since transitioning to charter, we must continue to fundraise. Adult charter only receive 89% of per pupil funding for K-12 schools. Additionally, adult schools are not eligible for Title 1 or a number of the additional resources that K-12 schools receive for special populations