Connections, which has been operating as a school-within-a-school at Mountain View Elementary, is the first to meet the state’s new requirements for New Century charter schools. Winning charter status guarantees the program’s survival, which has been questioned by the Mountain View principal.

Charters are free to manage their own money and experiment with curriculum. At the same time, they must open their doors to all students and follow state academic standards.

Connections will open as a charter school in August with about 160 students. Like many prospective charter applicants, Connections is a small school, giving students more one-on-one attention.

"Being a charter will make it much easier for us," said Connections teacher John Thatcher. "We will have much more flexibility."

One major benefit will be a newfound freedom from the state’s mountain of paperwork, he said.

"If we want to do something like a field trip, we won’t have to go through the myriad of red tape that we have to go through now," Thatcher said.

Charter schools guarantee accountability of teachers and administrators, Thatcher said, because charters can be revoked if schools don’t meet standards.

Charters also foster the involvement of parents and there is a strong feeling of ohana at Connections, said parent Dr. Laura Moire. School board chairman Mitsugi Nakashima doesn’t anticipate difficulties approving the charter. However, he said, there are some questions about the charter process overall.

One of those is financing. Nakashima said it’s unlikely the Legislature will approve additional money for the schools this year. While the financial formula for charters has yet to be developed, there are concerns that charters could place a burden on the system.