Ed Dept Funds Charter School Growth: Apply by April!
Published Date: 1/21/2025
Notice
Summary
The Department of Education is offering new grants in 2025 to help top charter school groups grow and open more high-quality schools. If you run or work with a charter management organization, you can apply by April 21, 2025, to get funding that supports expanding great schools for more students. There’s also a helpful webinar coming up to guide applicants through the process.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
New 2025 Grants for Charter CMOs
If you run or work with a charter management organization (a nonprofit that operates or manages a network of charter schools), you can apply for CSP CMO Grant funds. Applications are available January 21, 2025, and must be submitted by April 21, 2025; applicants are strongly encouraged (but not required) to submit a notice of intent by April 1, 2025, and a pre-application webinar will be provided.
Extra Points for Meeting Two Priorities
Applications that meet Competitive Preference Priority 1 (proposing racially and socioeconomically diverse student bodies) can earn up to 7 additional points, and applications that meet Competitive Preference Priority 2 (promoting high-quality educator- and community-centered charter schools) can earn up to 7 additional points. An application may receive up to 14 additional points in total for these competitive preference priorities.
Funding Intended for Underserved Students
The program’s purpose is to expand opportunities for students—particularly children with disabilities, English learners, and other traditionally underserved students—by funding CMOs to replicate or expand high-quality charter schools, increase enrollment, add grades, or open new schools or campuses.
Strict Application and Documentation Requirements
To receive funding, applicants must meet each application requirement; examples include demonstrating the applicant currently operates or manages more than one charter school, providing student assessment and attendance/retention data, submitting recent independently audited financial statements, including a logic model, planning for transportation and special education compliance, and describing any past school closures or compliance issues. The Department will not fund an application that does not meet every listed application requirement.
Invitational Priorities: Collaboration & Multilingualism
The Department invites (but does not give competitive preference for) applications that propose collaborations between charter schools and traditional public schools (e.g., shared curricula, shared transportation, shared special education services) and applications that promote pathways to multilingualism. For collaborations, grantees must provide evidence of participation within 120 days of award or within 120 days of the collaboration start date, whichever is later.
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Key Dates
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