State Public Charter School Authority

Nevada's State Public Charter School Authority (“SPCSA”) is a statewide charter school sponsor that was created during the 2011 legislative session. The SPCSA serves as the Local Education Agency for its sponsored schools – currently 29 charter schools serving 36,000 students. Collectively, SPCSA-authorized schools are the third largest public school system in the Silver State. As defined in state law, the purpose of the SPCSA is to: authorize charter schools of high‐quality throughout Nevada with the goal of expanding the opportunities for pupils, including pupils who are at risk; provide oversight to ensure that sponsored charter schools maintain high educational and operational standards, preserve autonomy and safeguard the interests of pupils and the community; and serve as a model of the best practices in sponsoring charter schools and foster a climate in Nevada in which all high quality charter schools, regardless of sponsor, can flourish.

Consistent with its legislative purpose, the SPCSA’s mission is to improve and influence public education in Nevada by sponsoring public charter schools that prepare all students for college and career success and by modeling best practices in charter school sponsorship.

The agency's primary office is in the state capital, Carson City, in the Reno-Tahoe area. Carson City borders Lake Tahoe and is approximately 30 minutes from Reno-Tahoe International Airport and 4 hours from the Bay area. The Agency also maintains an active presence in the Las Vegas Valley in southern Nevada, home to the nation's 5th largest school district and the vast majority of the state's traditional public and public charter school students.