Since the N.C. General Assembly voted to lift the 100-school limit on charter schools last summer, the Lake Norman region has seen an ever-growing public education alternative of charter schools.

The State Board of Education approved nine new charter schools in March, and 25 more charter school applications will go before the board in September. Charter schools throughout the Lake Norman region – six total – have thousands of names on waitlists.

During the upcoming weeks, The Herald Weekly and education reporter Tori Hamby will examine charter schools in a five-part series, including the effects these schools have on teachers and public funding, a look at how these schools operate with less government oversight than traditional schools and the state’s future plans for regulation.