Beginning in 1996, North Carolina school districts were permitted to open up to five charter schools per year until the state reached a maximum of 100 charter schools. This cap was reached by 2001, effectively ending charter school building in North Carolina. Union Academy was founded in Monroe in 2000. It remained Union County's only Charter School until 2011 heralded legislative change.
Any child, legally a resident in North Carolina, may attend any of the state's charter schools. Attendance relies on parental commitment to transport children to the school of choice. Students residing in the western edge of Union County may be within driving distance of Socrates Academy in Matthews or Kennedy School in Charlotte. There are also two alternative schools within western Union County. There is no charter or alternative school provision in eastern Union County.
Union Academy is a kindergarten through 12th grade school on two campuses. Union was founded by teachers and parents desiring an enriched curriculum, individualized teaching and greater parental and community involvement. By 2011 Union Academy had grown to 1,100 students and was an Honor School of Excellence.
Socrates Academy is an elementary school located in Matthews. It teaches by the Socratic method --- posing questions rather than giving answers. The school encourages critical and analytical thought. It is the region's only bilingual Greek school --- some classes each day are taught in Greek. The focus is on rigorous academics, multiculturalism and character development. It too is an Honor School of Excellence.
Charlotte's Kennedy Charter Public School is specifically for children at risk of failure in the traditional schools. Kennedy specializes in individualized attention, behavioral support and hands-on learning. A summer bridge program is mandatory for all rising freshmen at Kennedy. Tuition is offered for kindergarten through second grade, and sixth through 12th grades.
All three schools have waiting lists. Admission is by lottery. Siblings of enrolled students receive waiting list priority. At Union, students may be refused places if they have been expelled or suspended elsewhere. Parents of every Union Academy student commit to provide a minimum of 60 voluntary hours service per year. At Socrates, parents must provide 36 service hours.
In January 2011, Senator Richard Stevens filed Senate Bill 8 --- The Charter School Act 2011. This proposed ending North Carolina's cap; increasing charter school funding and creating a Charter School Commission. The second decade of the 21st century will likely see a new generation of North Carolina charter schools. Given the dearth of local provision it seems likely some of these will be in Union County. Bill 8 also ends the cap on individual charter school enrollment figures, which limited school growth. The bill opens the way for more charter school places for Union County students.