WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement announced the recipients of $399 million in Charter Schools Program (CSP) grants, which include separate and specific grants for the following programs:
Funding State Entities to support the creation of new charter schools, awarded more than $313.4 million over five years to eight states;
Developer Grants to open new charter schools and to replicate high-quality charter schools, awarded $29.5 million to 31 charter schools over up to five years;
Credit Enhancement to help charter schools meet the cost of financing facilities, awarded $39.9 million to four recipients for one year;
National Dissemination to share best practices regarding charter schools, awarded $16.2 million in grants to eight recipients over three years.
“We are excited to congratulate the winners of this year’s CSP grant competition as they work to expand high-quality charter school options across the country,” said Nina Rees, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. “These grants are essential to help new public charter schools open and to replicate high-performing schools that are serving kids well.”
Currently, more than 7,000 charter schools serve nearly 3.2 million public school students across 43 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico – and a growing number of families are demanding more. According to a nationally representative survey, nearly 80 percent of parents want to have the option of choosing which public school their child attends, and more than 70 percent favor having a public charter school in their neighborhood.
More on the grants announced today below:
CSP Grants to State Entities
This year, CSP grants to State Entities (SE) were awarded to eight entities. These grants enable states, charter support organizations, governors, and state authorizers to award sub-grants to eligible applicants in their state to open and prepare for the operation of new charter schools, and to replicate and expand high-quality charter schools. States that received 2018 CSP Grants to SE are: Arizona Department of Education, Arkansas Public School Resource Center, Colorado Department of Education, Delaware Department of Education, Bluum (Idaho), Michigan Department of Education, New York State Education Department and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
CSP Developer Grants for the Opening of New Charter Schools and for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools
The grant provides funds to eligible applicants for the opening of new charter schools and for the replication and growth of high-performing charter schools. The grantees opening new charters schools are: Dream House (HI), Kamalani Academy (HI), Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy (MO), Mobile Area Education Foundation (AL), Moore Montessori Community School (NC), New Hope Public School Academy Project Team (MI), Snow Pond Arts Academy (ME), STAR Academy (AL) and University Charter School (AL). The grantees for replication and expansion are: Alliance for Progress Charter School (PA), American Heritage Charter School (ID), Bronx Charter School for the Arts (NY), Building Responsible Intelligent Creative Kids (NJ), Central Jersey College Prep Charter School (NJ), Central Queens Academy Charter School (NY), Charlotte Lab School (NC), Christopher House (IL), Crossroads Academy of Kansas City (MO), Cumberland County Charter School Network (NJ), Folk Arts-Cultural Treasures Charter School (PA), Global Ambassadors Language Academy (OH), Good Will Home Association (ME), Henderson Collegiate (NC), Mathematics, Science, and Technology Charter School (PA), Nueva Esperanza (PA), Paterson Arts and Science Charter School (NJ), Prospect Schools (NY), Scuola Vita Nuova (MO), Utah County Academy of Sciences (UT), Waterford Montessori Academy (MI) and the York Academy Regional Charter School (PA).
CSP Grants for Credit Enhancement for the Charter School Facilities Program
This program provides grants to eligible entities to enhance the credit of charter schools. Charter schools generally lack equitable access to taxpayer funded facilities and have limited access to the funding streams available to school districts. These CSP awards support charter schools in accessing private-sector and other non-Federal capital to acquire, construct, and renovate facilities at a reasonable cost. This year’s recipients are: Center for Community Self-Help, Charter Schools Development Corporation, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and the Nonprofit Finance Fund.
CSP National Dissemination Grants
This program provides grants to support the work of eligible entities to improve the charter school sector and increase the number of high-quality charter schools through the dissemination of best practices. These CSP awards support a variety of organizations in their work to support charter schools across the country. This year’s grantees are: Breakthrough Charter Schools, Building Hope, California Charter Schools Association, Colorado Charter School Institute, The Institute for Excellence in Education, NACA Inspired Schools Network, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, and the National Association of Charter School Authorizers.
CSP Grants for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools
A notice inviting applications for the CSP Grants for Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CMO grants) has not been issued yet for Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18). We expect the FY18 competition to be held in late 2018 or in early 2019; Congress made funds available through March 31, 2019.
