Most of the nearly 2,200 public schools in Georgia are operated by one of the state’s 181 school districts. Charter schools account for 97 of Georgia’s public schools. A charter school is a public school of choice that operates under the terms of a charter, or contract, with an authorizer, such as the state and local boards of education. Charter schools receive flexibility from certain state and local rules in exchange for a higher degree of accountability for raising student achievement. Charter schools are held accountable by their authorizer(s) for upholding the terms of their charter.