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Charter Schools Program Archives - North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools

May 22
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Education Dept. announces $60M Charter Schools Program funding increase

By News

The U.S. Department of Education recently announced a $60 million funding increase for the federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) this year. That increase will bring the program’s annual budget for FY 25 to $500 million. The new investment coincides with the 30th anniversary of CSP. Along with the funding increase, the Department of Education also announced a new grant opportunity within CSP: the Model Development and Dissemination Grant Program.

Here’s an excerpt from the Department’s announcement:

“In celebrating the pivotal role that charter schools play to deliver high-quality options for students and families, I’m excited to share that the Trump Administration is making historic investments in the Charter Schools Program,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “Not only are we proposing a future $60 million increase in the program budget, but we are also dedicating an additional $60 million in this year’s funding. With more dollars going toward education choice and a new grant opportunity to help highlight best practices, we hope to pave the way for more choices, better outcomes, and life-changing opportunities for students and families.”

More

  • Watch the video announcement about CSP from Secretary of Education Linda McMahon here.
  • Read about CSP’s impact from the National Charter School Resource Center.
  • See a recent op-ed in The Hill from Starlee Coleman, CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. In it, Coleman writes about CSP’s impact and congressional legislation that could make the program more effective.

Above: Shutterstock photo.

Jul 31
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U.S. House Appropriators propose $20M funding boost for charter program

By Legislation, News

The federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) could see a funding increase this year. Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee approved a $20 million funding increase for the program. This is the “largest proposed budget increase for charter schools in several years,” according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. CSP is currently funded at $440 million and represents a fraction–just 1%–of federal spending on K-12 education, notes the Alliance. Yet the program provides important funding to start and expand public charter schools nationwide.

In a statement about the proposed funding increase, Eric Paisner, interim CEO at the Alliance, said:

We thank the House Appropriations Committee for recognizing the incredible value of public charter schools by proposing a total of $20 million in increased funding for the federal Charter Schools Program (CSP). Yesterday, the full House Appropriations Committee proposed a $10 million increase to the CSP appropriation. This follows an earlier proposed increase of $10 million by the Labor-HHS subcommittee last month, creating the largest proposed budget increase for charter schools in several years. This crucial funding source is the lifeline for creating high-quality, in-demand public charter schools across the nation.

Families across the country want more public education options, and CSP funding is essential to meet this growing demand. Over the past five years, charter schools have been the only public schools to experience enrollment growth, demonstrating their unique appeal and success …

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Jul 03
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U.S. House proposes Charter Schools Program funding increase

By Legislation, News

More federal funding may be coming to support charter school growth nationwide. Congressional lawmakers have proposed a $10 million FY 25 funding increase for the federal Charter Schools Program (CSP). CSP helps with start-up funding, charter expansion, and more.

This increase is modest but still encouraging, since the program has been level-funded at $440 million since 2019. Moreover, President Biden’s proposed FY 25 budget included a $40 million cut to program funding.

In response to the proposed funding increase, Eric Paisner, the acting CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, released this statement:

We thank the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee members for recognizing the value and educational opportunity public charter schools provide to families across the nation by putting forth a proposed increase of $10 million to the federal Charter Schools Program (CSP). The CSP is the nation’s only source of dedicated federal funding for the creation of high-quality and in-demand public charter schools.  

Given the strong support for charter schools from families, CSP funding helps to meet the growing demand for charter schools and help serve America’s students and families with more high-quality public education options. Charter schools are the only type of public schools that have seen enrollment growth over the past five years. 

We are very grateful for this support and had also hoped to see an increase in Title I funding for schools that serve low-income families. Charter schools are unique public schools that overwhelmingly serve students who are Black, Brown, or from low-income families. The majority of charter school students are Title I students. 

Charter schools will surely benefit from increased funding for the CSP, but our schools would also be negatively impacted by a cut in Title I funding. 

Read more about the Charter Schools Program. View the Alliance’s 2024 impact report for the Charter Schools Program.

 

Apr 11
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Debbie Veney Op-Ed: Don’t Cut Charter Schools Program Funding

By News

Debbie Veney is the senior vice president for communications and marketing at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Photo credit: NAPCS.

President Biden’s FY 25 budget includes a funding cut to the federal Charter Schools Program. That proposed cut comes after years of  flat funding for a program that plays an important role in launching and expanding public charter schools nationwide. Debbie Veney, a senior vice president at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, has a new op-ed out about the political stakes for cutting charter funding–and how ignoring the needs of parent voters is perilous for politicians.

In our post today, we share an excerpt from Debbie’s op-ed below:

I vote in every election. When it comes to casting a ballot, whether it’s for president, Congress, state legislators, governor, mayor or city council, I am always going to vote based on what’s best for my child. There is nothing a candidate can say about any issue that will change this calculus. If I don’t believe my child will be better off with that person in office, they will not get my vote.

And I am not alone. There are millions of Americans — white, Black, Hispanic, Democrat, Republican, rural, suburban, urban — who will make the very same decision come November. Choosing to put our kids first is not a political issue; it’s just how we are wired.

Mar 27
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Federal Charter Schools Program Maintains Level Funding for 2024

By News

The federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) will maintain its current level of funding for 2024. This is good news for a program that, with funding set at $440 million, represents a small fraction of federal spending on education–but plays a big role in helping charter schools nationwide grow. The program provides grants to help new charter schools launch and existing charter schools replicate or expand. In addition, CSP grants target access to facilities and more.

Eric Paisner, the acting president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, released a statement earlier this week about the FY 2024 budget, noting:

In the FY2024 Budget, signed by President Biden just days ago, the federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) was protected from a cut. Congress included level funding of $440 million for the CSP, which was a remarkable victory given the contentious nature of the budget appropriations process this year. This marks the fifth year of level funding to the nation’s only source of dedicated federal funding for the creation of high-quality and in-demand public charter schools.  

The FY2024 budget includes new guiding language to allow for more flexibility in the use of CSP funds, including allocating funds to programs based on the needs of the field and supporting technical assistance for subgrantees. Most importantly, the cap is lifted on the State Facilities Incentives Grant, which makes it possible for the program to award new grants more frequently than once every five years. This means more schools will benefit from this funding stream as well as more states will be supported as they establish eligibility for this grant.

We thank the Appropriations Committee Chairs and Ranking Members for recognizing the value and educational opportunity public charter schools provide to families across the nation.

More advocacy for CSP lies ahead, however. Unfortunately, President Biden’s 2025 budget includes a $40 million cut to CSP. The Alliance is asking Congress for $500 million for the program. In addition, Congress is considering two bills that will amplify the work of CSP. Read more about those bills here. See more about the technical changes to CSP in the 2024 budget.