Raleigh Charter High School opened its doors in the fall of 1999, with a focus on citizenship education and a college-preparatory curriculum. It is currently in its 11th year of operation. The original charter, granted by the State Department of Public Instruction, was renewed once for five years and has recently been renewed for a ten-year period. The school has been recognized as a NC Honors School of Excellence yearly since 2004. It has been in Newsweek's Top 100 Schools list for five years and was listed in the US News Gold Medal Top 10 0Schools in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, seniors were offered $4.6 million in scholarships. Among its alumni, the school has two Robertson Scholars, three Morehead-Cain Scholars, one Park Scholar and one Benjamin N. Duke Scholar.

Current student enrollment is 534. At the start of the 2010-2011 academic year, enrollment will be 550. The school currently has about 56 staff members. Some are part-time and arrive and depart at varying times.

The school year begins in mid-August and ends in early June. Each day begins at 9:00 AM and ends at 2:40 PM (M-F.) Students may arrive as early as 8:10 AM for morning study hall or an optional morning health or music class. Raleigh Charter High School students have six 45-minute classes each day and a 25-minute lunch period. Students do not leave campus for lunch. The students take four core courses and two electives. Most students depart campus between 2:40 (dismissal) and 3:00. Some students stay after school for meetings with faculty, club activities and drama rehearsals. The sports teams use existing city or privately owned facilities for all practices and games. The school does not have sports fields or other athletic facilities. There are occasional evening gatherings.

A focus on citizenship is an important part of the mission of the school. One component of this focus is the school-wide Community Work Day program. Each year students choose from over thirty different areas of service and participate in yearlong activities culminating in two off-campus service workdays. In 2008, Raleigh Charter High School received the Fred Fletcher Volunteer Group of the Year award from the City of Raleigh for the student volunteer work done with the Raleigh Department of Parks and Recreation. Community involvement is also strong through student led clubs.

Two days each fall and two days each spring the school has Flex Days. On these days students participate in half day activities related to their course work. Many travel off-campus, walking to downtown museums and government facilities. Others travel with parent volunteer drivers to more distant locations. The school does not have school buses.

The school has two Back-to-School nights each fall. It hosts two open house sessions each winter, and one session in the spring.

The goal of purchasing a permanent home is to secure the school in a location near downtown Raleigh ensuring that the school is accessible for students from all parts of Wake County and its surrounding counties and that the curriculum is enhanced by exposure to the resources of the city.