Island Park Charter School is, by design, different from traditional public schools. The purpose of charter schools is to use innovative practices in education, with the hope that some of these practices can be adapted for use in other public-school settings. We are governed by a local school board, we have greater flexibility to try new things and to quickly respond to the needs of our students. There is simply less “red tape” to deal with as we make decisions. We do, however, have a high degree of accountability. The motivation for us to provide a quality program that ensures academic success for all our students is extraordinary.