Title 20EducationRelease 119-73not60

§7221e Federal Formula Allocation During First Year and for Successive Enrollment Expansions

Title 20 › Chapter 70— STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS › Subchapter IV— 21ST CENTURY SCHOOLS › Part C— Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools › § 7221e

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary and States must make sure each charter school gets the federal funds it is eligible for no later than 5 months after it opens. The same 5-month rule applies after any later enrollment expansion. If payments were based on estimated student counts that turn out too high, the State must recover the extra money or reduce payments the next year. Schools opening after November 1 must still be given a fair chance to receive those funds in their first year, under the Secretary’s guidance and federal rules. For the hold‑harmless rules in sections 6332(c) and 6337(g)(3), the State must set the prior‑year base to reflect new or significantly expanded enrollment.

Full Legal Text

Title 20, §7221e

Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)For purposes of the allocation to schools by the States or their agencies of funds under part A of subchapter I, and any other Federal funds which the Secretary allocates to States on a formula basis, the Secretary and each State educational agency shall take such measures as are necessary to ensure that every charter school receives the Federal funding for which the charter school is eligible not later than 5 months after the charter school first opens, notwithstanding the fact that the identity and characteristics of the students enrolling in that charter school are not fully and completely determined until that charter school actually opens. The measures similarly shall ensure that every charter school expanding its enrollment in any subsequent year of operation receives the Federal funding for which the charter school is eligible not later than 5 months after such expansion.
(b)(1)The measures described in subsection (a) shall include provision for appropriate adjustments, through recovery of funds or reduction of payments for the succeeding year, in cases where payments made to a charter school on the basis of estimated or projected enrollment data exceed the amounts that the school is eligible to receive on the basis of actual or final enrollment data.
(2)For charter schools that first open after November 1 of any academic year, the State, in accordance with guidance provided by the Secretary and applicable Federal statutes and regulations, shall ensure that such charter schools that are eligible for the funds described in subsection (a) for such academic year have a full and fair opportunity to receive those funds during the charter schools’ first year of operation.
(c)For purposes of implementing the hold harmless protections in section 6332(c) and 6337(g)(3) 11 See References in Text note below. of this title for a newly opened or significantly expanded charter school under this part, a State educational agency shall calculate a hold-harmless base for the prior year that, as applicable, reflects the new or significantly expanded enrollment of the charter school.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 6337(g)(3) of this title, referred to in subsec. (c), was redesignated section 6337(f)(3) of this title by Pub. L. 114–95, title I, § 1017(7), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 1879.

Amendments

2015—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 114–95, § 4301(2), added subsec. (c).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2015 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 114–95 effective Dec. 10, 2015, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 114–95, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

20 U.S.C. § 7221e

Title 20Education

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60