• Local Focus and Community Alignment: Henderson's local authorizing office allows charter schools to align more closely with community needs and priorities. Local oversight may better reflect Henderson’s demographic, educational, and social requirements—fostering partnerships tailored to the City’s specific context. This proximity could enable quicker responses to local issues and opportunities 

• Enhanced Flexibility and Autonomy: By sponsoring through the City, charter schools can experience a more streamlined approval process and potentially more adaptable governance structures.  

• Opportunity to Influence and Participate in a New System: As a new charter school authorizer, Henderson is designing establishing and shaping its authorizer framework, processes and policies. The City is interested in working with schools to help tailor its authorizing services to help schools grow stronger and faster via a well- designed authorizing division. 

• Direct Connections with City Services that Support School Communities: Partnering with the City of Henderson authorizer enables schools to integrate more easily with City programs and services, such as local transportation, community centers, and workforce development initiatives—and increase connections with local leaders. This can enable faster partnerships with local leaders beneficial to your students and families as we’re all part of the Henderson team.  

• Schools applying now may have opportunities to influence these early-stage design and authorizing frameworks and benefit from fresh, innovative approaches to charter school sponsorship 

• Increased Visibility and Local Support: Being part of a smaller, focused municipal authorizer can give your charter school greater visibility among residents, businesses, and local government, which may translate into better community support and resources 

• Direct connections to current information and research: The City of Henderson values high quality charter school authorizing practices and aims to stay connected to the latest information and research in the field to continually build capacity and implement best practices. The City maintains membership in the National Association of Charter School Authorizers and participates in professional development opportunities and connections with authorizers across the country.

• Community Meeting support 

• Enrollment Marketing information support 

 Please visit our City's Strategic Plan for information on our City's goals.

Pursuant to NRS 388A.249(2)(c), the City of Henderson must, in evaluating the application, "consider the degree to which the proposed charter school will address the needs identified" in the "evaluation of the demographic information of pupils, the academic needs of pupils and the needs of any pupils who are at risk of dropping out of school in the geographic areas served by the sponsor" NRS 388A.220(6).  Additionally, in accordance with NRS 388A.249(3)(c) the City of Henderson may only approve an application to form a charter school if, in addition to meeting other requirements, the proposed charter school will address one or more of the "needs identified" in the NRS 388A.220(6) evaluation.

• Interactive Map
• Demographic Addendum
• CCSD Building Over/Under Capacity Maps
• CCSD Schools Capacity Report
• Star Rating by Attendance Zone
• City of Henderson Target Industry Study

• 2025 Charter School Application
• 2025 Charter School Application Guidance
• 2025 Charter School Application Rubric

Attachments

• Attachment 1_Information Sheet for Applicant Team Members
• Attachment 9_Board Member Roster Template
• Attachment 16_Evidence of Demand Template
• Attachment 17_Incubation Year Planning Table
• Attachment 24_Financial Plan Workbook
• Attachment 25_EMO CMO Data Template

Founders Classical Academy of Henderson

• Application
• Attachment 24 updated 06/20/2025
• Supplemental Information 1

Kesher Academy

• Application
• Attachment 1-22
• Attachment 24 updated 06/20/2025
• Supplemental Information 1

Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy - Henderson

• Application
• Attachment 24 updated 06/20/2025
• Attachment 25
• Supplemental Information 1

Signature Preparatory: West

• Application
• Attachment 1-11
• Attachment 12-34
• Attachment 24 updated 06/20/2025
• Supplemental Information 1
• Attachment 25

Note: Following the capacity interviews applicants were asked to provide some limited clarifications and resubmit written documentation as needed. Those revisions are reflected in the documents above and labeled as revised.

To meet the evolving needs of our community, the City of Henderson Charter Sponsoring Division (CSD) aims to cultivate premier learning environments that empower every student to be well-prepared for success, enhancing the quality of life for all who live, play, and work in Henderson.

Through innovative education practices, strong systems of accountability, community engagement, and a commitment to developing well rounded individuals, we aim to foster a thriving and inclusive educational ecosystem where every student can fulfill their potential. 

The City of Henderson, Nevada, is a thriving community with 359,000 residents, including more than 75,000 children under the age of 18. Known for its blend of small-town values and big-city efficiencies, Henderson is committed to providing diverse educational opportunities to meet the needs of its growing population. 

Rapid growth in recent decades has challenged local schools to keep pace with demand, prompting the City to support the expansion of public charter schools starting in 2011. Today, Henderson is home to 41 Clark County School District schools and 16 public charter schools. While these efforts have helped address overcrowding and enhance educational options, the City continues to focus on providing innovative, localized solutions to serve students and families better. 

Henderson residents place a high value on education, ranking it as a top community priority alongside public safety. To meet these expectations, the City established a Community Education Advisory Board in 2017 and dedicated staff to education initiatives in 2019. These efforts reflect Henderson’s ongoing commitment to fostering high-quality education and ensuring every child has access to exceptional learning opportunities. 

In 2024, the City of Henderson was approved to sponsor charter schools in the City.  The City is now inviting qualified applicant groups, i.e., committees to form, to review the provided information on this website.  Potential applicants should also contact city charter school sponsoring staff regarding submitting an application to start a charter school or to add a campus in the City.