What works for one family doesn’t always work for another — and every child is unique!

By having options, Rochester families can find the K-12 school that best meets their child’s needs.

School choice provides a pathway for students to find the right learning environment to be inspired, successful, and happy. That’s why school choice is so important.

Access to School Choice in Rochester

GoodSchoolsRoc wants every child to have access to a free, quality public school. Knowing your options is the first step.

We provide tools that empower Rochester families. While more than 9,000 students are enrolled in Rochester charter schools, still many parents don’t know there are 16 charter schools with 27 Rochester locations. Charter schools are public schools and provide options for families who want a choice in their child’s education.

Parents know their children best and our goal is to help them get all the information they need to select the K-12 option that is the best fit for their family. We provide school summary information as well as stats and links from the schools and NYS Department of Education. We don’t advocate for one school or model over another—that’s your choice!

GoodSchoolsRoc has all the Rochester charter school information you need in one place. You can learn about Rochester charter schools, then apply to as many as you want with one simple application.

Why Choose a Charter School?

2026 Selection Booklet

Download the School Selection Booklet

for information about Rochester Charter Schools

Download the PDF
Booklet Here

  • Charter schools are free public schools serving Kindergarten to 12th grade.

  • Charter schools offer Special Education Services and accept students with IEPs and those who are English Language Learners.

  • There are no entrance exams or tests for charter schools.

  • When a charter school receives more applications than it has seats available, it conducts a public lottery where applications are selected at random by a computer program.

  • Charter schools receive about 2/3 of the funding of district schools. Funding follows the student. If a student leaves their home district, the funding goes to the new school where the child attends. Unlike district schools, charter schools have to find and fund their own buildings.

  • Charter school teachers are required to have standard teaching certifications. The state allows up to 30% or 5 teachers (whichever is less) to have other qualifying credentials or requisite experience.

  • Charter schools take state tests and regents exams. The NYSED website provides comparison data of charter and district schools at https://data.nysed.gov

  • Charter schools are accountable to New York State and their authorizers. They have flexibility in exchange for accountability.

  • There are 27 charter school locations in the Rochester area. This represents 16 schools. Some schools have more than one location.

  • Schools offer before and after school programs, athletics and transportation.

If you are able, schedule a time (remote or in-person) with teachers or administrators at the school to ask questions and learn more.

Resources for Parents

NYSED Parent Dashboard

NYSED Parent Dashboard

For parents who want to research a school and learn more about student achievement, the NYSED Parent Dashboard. The Parent Dashboard offers information on all public schools, including charter schools.

NYSED Parent Dashboard