From staff reports

HILLSBOROUGH — There is a lot of talk these days in national politics about charter schools, but not necessarily a lot of information about what this movement means in North Carolina. A great deal of public confusion remains: Are these schools public or private? Who are they for? What do they cost? How do you get in? Who runs them?

Orange Charter School, which has been educating K-8 students in Hillsborough for 12 years, hopes to address those and other issues at an upcoming event.

From 2-4 p.m. Oct. 4, Orange Charter School invites the entire community to its campus for Marmalade, the Orange Charter Jam featuring performances by Katharine Whalen and the Stillhouse Bottom Band. After each performance, the community can learn about educational life at the school.

“We are inviting the public to Marmalade so they can better understand the nature of the educational resource OCS offers,” Orange Charter School Principal Mark Borkowski said. “We feel our location here in Hillsborough allows OCS to enjoy the best of both worlds — the warmth of a small, rural town and the advantages of a vibrant art and literary community.”

Opening its doors in 1997, Orange Charter School was on the forefront of the charter school movement. Today, many of the school’s graduates proceed to rigorous high school curricula such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs at area public, charter and private schools.

“Orange Charter School has stood the test of time and continues to grow,” said Celeste Gardner, Orange Charter School board chairwoman. “We are very excited to welcome the community and announce the expansion of our campus with the construction of a gym, auditorium and additional classroom space.”

In addition to offering diverse educational resources, the school gives each student an opportunity to learn on an individual level.

“We love OCS because teachers value my son as an individual, and his gifts are able to shine,” Orange Charter School parent Denise Duffy said. “At first, he found the work more demanding than at his old school, but he likes it better because the curriculum is integrated across subject lines and is more relevant to real life; socially, the school is welcoming and supportive of all students.”

The concert on Oct. 4 is free and open to the public. Additional information about charter schools and tours of Orange Charter School will be available in the afternoon.