How charter and tribal schools fare under public audit

Just like established public schools, charter and tribal schools are subject to public audit. In the 2020-21 school year, Washington's charter and tribal schools served more than 5,600 students. SAO audits the public funding that each type of school receives.

Recent audits of tribal schools have found that they keep records to support revenue and expenditures, and that they have quickly implemented audit recommendations.

Charter schools in Washington began serving students in the 2014-15 school year. Recent audits of charter schools have found that school personnel are still learning about Washington's legal requirements. Seven new charter schools have opened for the 2021-22 school year. Based on SAO audits, some key areas of continued focus for the charter schools include:

• Documenting and reporting requirements for student enrollment
• Keeping straightforward records to show schools are separating public and private transactions and maintaining supporting documentation
• Identifying public assets and tracking them
• Following meeting requirements under the Open Public Meetings Act, including maintaining meeting minutes, and approving expenditures in a timely manner
• Employing Washington certificated instructors and ensuring they are keeping their certifications current

SAO continues to encourage charter schools to work closely with their authorizer to ensure they comply with their charter contracts and receive relevant guidance to comply with Washington laws.

CHARTER SCHOOLS, AT A GLANCE: 2020-21 school year: 12 charter schools served 3,640 students

TRIBAL SCHOOLS, AT A GLANCE: 2020-21 school year: 7 tribal schools served 1,997 students