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Charter schools in Petaluma, CA

14 schools in Petaluma, 19 more within 15 miles. Public, and free to attend.

Public charter schools (tuition-free)

Petaluma charter schools at a glance

14 public charter schools give Petaluma as their address in the 2025-26 federal school directory, and 19 more are within 15 miles. The 14 in town had about 3,446 students in 2024-25. 12 teach elementary grades and 2 teach high school. 2 are mostly or fully online. Every one is a public school that charges no tuition.

3,446 students, 2024-25
2 high schools
$0 tuition

Networks and districts with the most of these schools: Old Adobe Union (4), Petaluma Joint Union High (3), Rincon Valley Union Elementary (3), Santa Rosa Elementary (3), Gravenstein Union Elementary (2). Names as reported to the federal directory.

Charter schools in Petaluma (14)

Largest first. Enrollment and teachers are from 2024-25; schools new in 2025-26 have no count yet.

Charter school Grades Students (2024-25) Per teacher Phone
Heartwood CharterMostly online K-12 739 32.6 (415) 488-9572
Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley K-8 494 26.2 (707) 778-4740
Loma Vista Immersion Academy K-6 451 24.5 (707) 765-4302
Sonoma Mountain Elementary K-6 422 24.8 (707) 765-4305
Miwok Valley Elementary Charter K-6 288 20.6 (707) 765-4304
Old Adobe Elementary Charter K-6 278 25.3 (707) 765-4301
Dunham Charter K-6 166 21.6 (707) 795-5050
Liberty Elementary 1-6 162 23.1 (707) 795-4380
Cinnabar Charter K-6 156 16.4 (707) 765-4345
River Montessori Elementary Charter K-6 144 24.1 (707) 778-6414
Petaluma Accelerated Charter 7-8 115 25.3 (707) 778-4750
Dual Language Immersion Academy Charter 7-8 31 (707) 778-4621
Liberty Independent StudyMostly online K-12 0 (707) 795-4380
Valley Vista Public Waldorf K-8 new in 2025-26 (707) 778-4762

Nearby, within 15 miles (19)

Charter schools in other towns, nearest first. Online schools are left out here because their address is an office.

Charter school Grades Students (2024-25) Per teacher Town Miles Phone
Penngrove Elementary K-6 472 29.5 Penngrove 5 (707) 778-4755
Credo High 9-12 441 13.6 Rohnert Park 6 (707) 664-0600
Pathways Charter K-12 348 20.1 Rohnert Park 9 (707) 585-6510
Sonoma Charter K-8 226 23.7 Sonoma 9 (707) 935-4232
Woodland Star Charter K-8 244 22.2 Glen Ellen 11 (707) 996-3849
Gravenstein Elementary K-5 464 19.9 Sebastopol 12 (707) 823-5361
Hillcrest Middle 6-8 297 16.8 Sebastopol 13 (707) 823-7653
Bennett Valley Charter 1-6 365 24.3 Santa Rosa 13 (707) 526-4433
Roseland Charter K-12 1,254 18.7 Santa Rosa 14 (707) 545-0102
Manzanita Elementary Charter K-6 369 19.4 Santa Rosa 14 (707) 545-1771
Novato Charter K-8 269 19.7 Novato 14 (415) 883-4254
Spring Lake Charter K-8 383 15.4 Santa Rosa 14 (707) 545-1771
Cesar Chavez Language Academy K-8 773 20 Santa Rosa 14 (707) 890-3890
Santa Rosa French-American Charter (SRFACS) K-8 525 19.8 Santa Rosa 14 (707) 890-3930
Village Elementary Charter K-6 384 24 Santa Rosa 14 (707) 545-5754
Kid Street Charter K-6 118 16.9 Santa Rosa 15 (707) 525-9223
Twin Hills Charter Middle 6-8 207 16.9 Sebastopol 15 (707) 823-7446
Sunridge Charter K-8 256 25.6 Sebastopol 15 (707) 824-2844
Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts K-8 384 19.3 Santa Rosa 15 (707) 890-3920

Charter schools: how they work

  • Public and free. NCES describes a public charter school as a publicly funded school, usually run by a group or organization under a contract (the charter) with the state, the district or another body. The federal definition says a charter school does not charge tuition.
  • Families choose it. Under the same definition, a charter school is one parents choose to send their children to, and it admits students by lottery when more apply than it has room for.
  • Its own rules, its own accountability. The charter frees the school from some state or local rules; in return it must meet the standards written in its charter. It is nonsectarian.
  • No program badge. ChoiceFunded’s program badges and “schools that accept” lists cover private schools only. Charter schools are listed separately here, with no badge, and are never counted with private schools.

Sources: 20 U.S.C. 7221i (federal Charter Schools Program definitions); NCES, Condition of Education: Public Charter School Enrollment. Each state writes its own charter law, so ask the school how enrollment works there.

Keep looking

Questions parents ask

How many charter schools are in Petaluma?

14 public charter schools in the 2025-26 federal directory are in Petaluma, and 19 more are within 15 miles. Heartwood Charter, Mary Collins Charter School at Cherry Valley, Loma Vista Immersion Academy, Sonoma Mountain Elementary, Miwok Valley Elementary Charter, Old Adobe Elementary Charter and others.

Do charter schools in Petaluma charge tuition?

No. Charter schools are public schools, and the federal definition of a charter school says it does not charge tuition. Ask each school about fees for extras.

How do I enroll in a Petaluma charter school?

Apply to each school directly. Under the federal definition, a charter school admits students by lottery when more apply than it has room for, so check each school’s application dates. Each state writes its own charter law.

School facts: U.S. Department of Education, Common Core of Data (2025-26 directory, 2024-25 enrollment and staff). Where our data comes from.

See charter schools How enrollment works