A free, publicly-funded charter school, we provide more student funds to each child – $3,000 per student. These added funds mean you have more choices for educational materials, and your children have more opportunities to take elective and enrichment classes from our educational partners. Plus, we allow families to share funds within their immediate family, giving you even more flexibility. 

Unique in the region, HCS offers:

• Parent Educator Mentors who present workshops and provide one-on-one training to help parents teach specific classes and work with different learning styles.
• A Parent Support Department that connects families for enrichment events, workshops, and activities
• Grade Level Academies, so you can be confident your child has credentialed experts who understand their grade level standards and can guide you with your child’s academic journey.

In addition, each family partners with knowledgeable and caring Supervising Teachers to support and ensure all their needs are met.

We have a Counseling Department and advanced placement, honors, and college prep courses to guarantee all high school students' requirements are fulfilled. We are a University of California A-G pathway school, providing courses that satisfy UC entrance requirements for high school students planning to enter the UC system.

HCS is a fully Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accredited K-12 school with a 30-year history. We serve Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, Nevada, Sutter, and Yuba counties offering quality education through personalized learning.

Horizon Charter Schools. Quality Learning Options. Strong Partnerships with Parents. Caring Connections.

Founded in 1993, several families were looking for a home study alternative to traditional public schools; the school was initially known as Home Independent Study. The name was changed to Horizon Instructional Systems within a few years. Then in 2006, the name was changed to Horizon Charter Schools (HCS) to make our name more synonymous with our mission. In July 2010, we added Partnerships for Student-Centered Learning Charter School to provide even more resources for families located outside of Placer County.

During the early years, HCS was entirely a home study program. In response to parent requests to supplement the homeschool program, core, enrichment, and elective classes were developed and offered through educational partner businesses.

Use our interactive online search tool to find our educational partners and approved vendors. You can access this tool on our Vendor Search page.