Lake Norman Charter School (LNCS) is a public school serving students in grades 5 - 11.  LNCS receives funding from the state of North Carolina and supporting counties for instruction of its students.  Charter schools do not receive funding for building construction, purchase, lease or renovations.  There is no tuition to attend LNCS. Any student who is a resident of North Carolina may attend.

The school opened for the 1998-99 school year in temporary facilities, and from 1999-2007 it was housed on leased land at 12820 S. Church Street near the current Prairie Packaging facility. For the 2007-2008 school year, the middle school moved to a new building at 12435 Old Statesville Road. The high school moved to Phase 1 of the high school campus at 12701 Old Statesville Road in August, 2009. LNCS currently has 1,300 students enrolled in grades 5 through 11.

To meet school objectives, LNCS provides:

• A challenging academic setting
• A focused classroom size averaging 22 students in core classes
• A strong discipline and honor code
• A strong, cooperative atmosphere
• High professional satisfaction and accountability

What is a Charter School?

• A charter school is a deregulated public school.
• It is typically authorized, or "chartered," by a public agency or an individual
• It typically has more freedom and flexibility than a school can get through magnet status or waivers.
• A charter school may not charge tuition and it may not discriminate.
• Charter schools are typically smaller than regular schools and they have specific academic targets and themes to achieve as part of their contract with the chartering entity.
• Charter schools typically focus on a new curriculum approach, a new school organization approach or some other features that set them apart from what a regular public school would offer.