Federal grant boosts charters, management organizations too
(District of Columbia) As part of the federal government’s commitment to charter schools, the U.S. Department of Education announced this week an award of more than $157 million to states for distribution in support of charters.
The lion’s share of the money – some $125 million – will fund new grants aimed at supporting about 400 new and expanded public charter schools in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, the District of Columbia, Ohio, Oregon, Nevada and South Carolina.
A major exclusion, however, was California, which was not awarded any new charter grant money. In 2010, California received a five-year, $250 million grant that “supported the launch of dozens of new charter schools” and served as “a major driver of the remarkable growth of California’s charter school sector,” according to a statement from the Charter Schools Development Center.
CSDC noted that the biggest beneficiary of the money was Ohio, “widely-recognized as the state with the nation’s most troubled charter school sector.”
Department officials provided no explanation of how the money was divided, but U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a statement that charter schools have proved an important option, especially in low-income urban centers.
“All students have the right to an education that prepares them for college and their careers, and we’re thrilled that a growing number of charter schools create opportunities for students to achieve just that,” Duncan said in a statement. “In particular, we are excited to see so many high-quality charter management organizations focused on replicating successful models in high-needs communities. As we celebrate charter schools that help children from disadvantaged backgrounds, we must continue empowering educators to create great schools while holding ourselves to the highest possible standards of excellence.”
The money comes through the Charter Schools Program, an allocation set up by Congress specifically for charter schools, charter management organizations and school districts engaged in charter oversight. The funding is distinct from other federal programs that charters are eligible for, including Title I, Title III and Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Since 2009, the Charter Schools Program has invested more than $1 billion in charter schools.
The remaining $32 million is set to be divided between charter management organizations that have never before received direct federal support and are focused on serving students that otherwise would be attending low-performing schools.
Those recipients are:
- Achievement First, Inc., Connecticut
- Across the Bridge Foundation, California
- Baltimore Curriculum Project, Maryland
- Einstein Group, Inc., Louisiana
- Lawndale Educational and Regional Network, Illinois
- Mastery Charter High School, Pennsylvania
- Noble Network of Charter School, Illinois
- RePublic Schools, Tennessee
- Success Academy Charter Schools, Inc., New York
- UP Education Network, Inc., Maryland
- Uplift Education, Texas
- West Denver Prep DBA STRIVE Preparatory Schools, Colorado
