FAQ

Charter Schools

• What is a charter school?

  Charter schools provide innovative school options for parents and students. Charter schools are state funded and do not charge tuition; they are not private schools. 

  Charter schools are subject to the same laws and regulations as other public schools. 

  
  

• Who can attend a charter school?

  Charter schools are open to all students, regardless of race, religion, gender, status, or other preference just as any other public school. Charter schools may limit enrollment based on capacity, which means students are sometimes placed on a waiting list if there are more applications than spots available.

• What is the tuition?

  There is no tuition. 

  Public charter schools receive funding from the State of Utah in the same way as all other public schools.  

  Student fees do apply in middle and high school grades, but these are comparable to fees charged in other public schools.  These fees can be waived for students who qualify.

  
  

• Where is your School Report Card?

  School Report Card

Enrollment

• How does the Enrollment process work?

  Charter School enrollment works on a first come, first served basis.  Once enrollments for a specific grade reach capacity, all future students are placed into a lottery.  Students are randomly chosen from the lottery and placed on the waiting list on a monthly basis.  As seats become open, students are contacted according to their order on the waiting list. 

  Because one of our goals is to keep families together, siblings are given enrollment preference.  That means that if one child is accepted, his siblings are moved from wherever they currently are on the Waiting List to the bottom of the Sibling List.    

  The wait list is carried over from one year to the next so there is no need to reapply. We ask that parents reply to our annual request to re-assert their interest in staying on the waitlist. Parents may contact the school to find out their student’s position on the list. 

  Additionally, Venture Academy maintains an articulation agreement with Promontory School of Expeditionary Learning, located in Perry, UT.  This agreement allows students who complete 8th grade at Promontory to be added to the bottom of Venture's Sibling List for 9th grade.

• Will my students need to re-enter the enrollment lottery each year?

  No, once your student is accepted into the school, their enrollment is permanent.  This includes students moving from junior high to high school.  

Big Picture

• Is Venture’s curriculum aligned with the Utah State Core?

  Yes.

• Are Venture Academy and Venture High School the same school?

  Yes. The official name of the K-12 school is Venture Academy. For practical purposes grades K-8 are often referred to as “the Academy” and grades 9-12 “the High School”.

• Are teachers certified?

  Yes. Teachers maintain proper Utah licensure, and follow all state requirements. Additionally, Venture teachers receive further professional development and training on a regular basis.

• What can I expect as a Venture High School student?

  You can expect to be known well by teachers, students, and staff; valued for your individual strengths; challenged to stretch your mind and ability through deep questions and purposeful projects; prepared with the skills, knowledge, and attributes necessary for success in college and life, and able to take charge of your own learning.

• Is Venture Academy Accredited?

  Yes! We are fully accredited by Cognia. 

  CogniaTM is a global nonprofit that has the knowledge to help schools improve.

  Cognia offers accreditation and certification, assessment, professional

  services, and consulting within a framework of continuous improvement.

  We are the largest education improvement organization in the world and an

  undeniable force for enhancing schools, engaging students, and driving better

  outcomes for all. Find out more at cognia.org.

Programs

• Are the arts important at Venture?

  Yes. In addition to the arts being integrated into other subject areas, Venture students also learn from master art teachers K-12. Music is taught and performed with excellence. Venture’s band has repeatedly been invited to perform, by audition, at the State Band Festival with the State’s top bands. Venture High is establishing a record of high quality performance in the arts and has performed productions such as Into the Woods and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

• Do you have sports at Venture?

  Venture recognizes that skills, abilities, and characteristics gained through physical engagement are valuable and important. Our Adventure program develops skills and characteristics that create a foundation for lifelong enjoyment and physical fitness. Students at Venture can expect opportunities to engage in sports such as hiking, biking, rock climbing, kayaking and more. Students have hiked and camped to the top of Ben Lomond, kayaked through the red rock cliffs of Lake Powell, backpacked through the Grand Canyon and experienced rock climbing at City of Rocks. Students in grades 6-9 may participate in competitive basketball. The high school has a competitive dance team. Through all of this, students learn to accomplish more than they thought possible while modeling leadership skills and developing habits of success. Students can attend Venture and play sports in their home districts as well.

• Can I join a club?

  Venture has a variety of quality curricular and non-curricular club opportunities. Venture’s debate team has created a strong foundation for excellence in competition within the UHSAA. Venture’s Vanguard Theatre Company is very active and travels to compete at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Adventure club and student government provide more opportunities to be involved.

• Does Venture High have “released time”?

  Yes. Released time is available to students for individualized learning experiences for a variety of reasons that fit under the State released time option. The Church of Jesus Christ has placed a building adjacent to Venture’s property and provides seminary instruction as a released time option.

• Do Venture students wear uniforms?

  Venture K-8 students wear red, white or navy collared shirts and tan or navy pants. High School students follow a professional dress code. This policy helps us encourage order, simplicity, and student focus on learning.

  • K-8 Dress Code
  • High School Dress Code

Services

• Is there bus service?

  Unfortunately, no but we do have a carpool feature on our website to make carpooling easier! Charter schools draw students from a wide area (4 counties for Venture) which makes daily school bus transportation impractical. Parents are responsible for transporting their students to and from school each day.  

  Students are allowed in the building before the start of classes. Public transportation is also encouraged. Don't forget to check out the carpool feature! 

• Is lunch available?

  Yes. Venture Academy participates in the National School Lunch Program including offering free and reduced priced meals for qualifying students. We offer healthy food choices for breakfast and lunch daily.

Contact Us

• Are parents welcome to visit and volunteer?

  Yes!  One of Venture Academy's Values is Family.  

  We encourage parents to be an active part of our school community, and we ask parents to offer 30 hours of volunteer work each school year. Parents can volunteer to help out in a classroom, with the library, in the cafeteria, at recess, on fieldwork, or at celebrations.  There's always so much to do!  

  Teachers will ask for volunteers with projects throughout the year, but any ideas you have to help out are most welcome!

• I have a lot of questions. Can I talk to someone?

  Absolutely! Contact us to ask questions! You can also schedule a tour.