New Hampshire has 10 charter schools, including the Academy for Science and Design in Merrimack. The school features an advanced curriculum focused on math, science and engineering for students in grades 7-12. The school is adding sixth grade next year and is expanding enrollment by 50 percent.

Also available to local students is the Exeter-based Virtual Learning Academy Charter School, which offers tuition-free online high school courses to New Hampshire students. Students can enroll on a part-time basis, taking courses beyond their own high school work, or full-time.

As of the 2009-10 school year, there were 816 students enrolled in charter schools in the state. State officials have been encouraging school districts, especially those in urban areas such as Nashua, to consider applying for part of the federal funding to create a charter school. Charter schools can be approved by the state Board of Education or through local authorization.

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