The Oklahoma Public School Resource Center (OPSRC) has received a USDE competitive grant (view the press release here) to carry out the following objectives within Oklahoma:
OPSRC will award subgrants for brick-and-mortar charter schools in the following two categories:
Awarded subgrants of $900,000 will be funded with $250,000 in the Planning Year (up to 16 months) and $650,000 in the Implementation Year.
Grant applicants must conform to the federal definition of a public charter school in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act [P.L. 114-95, section 4310(2)] to be eligible for grant funds under the CSP.
To be eligible to apply, a public charter school must be governed by a non-profit board that is separate from the sponsoring board and may not be composed of voting members from the authorizing board of directors.
Virtual charter schools are not eligible to apply.
All applicants for the Charter School Program grant must have an executed charter with a sponsor and must be no more than 16 months from opening as of the due date of the subgrant.
Charter schools in operation, approved charter schools that are more than 16 months from opening and developers that have not yet been approved by a sponsor are not eligible to apply. Grant activities may not extend beyond the first year of operation.
Those who wish to expand or replicate existing charter schools must meet the ESSA SEC. 4310 (7-9) definitions of expanding, replicating and high quality. Schools that do not meet this definition are not eligible for subgrant funding.
ESSA SEC. 4310
(7) EXPAND. —The term ‘‘expand’’, when used with respect to a high-quality charter school, means to significantly increase enrollment or add one or more grades to the high-quality charter school.
(8) HIGH-QUALITY CHARTER SCHOOL. —The term ‘‘high-quality charter school’’ means a charter school that—
(9) REPLICATE. —The term ‘‘replicate’’, when used with respect to a high-quality charter school, means to open a new charter school, or a new campus of a high-quality charter school, based on the educational model of an existing high-quality charter school, under an existing charter or an additional charter, if permitted or required by State law.
Each application will consist of:
The application must have a solid foundation and infrastructure that will ensure the charter is prepared for success from the beginning. That is, school leaders and stakeholders must display active engagement from the outset, from the planning operations to governing board development. The applicants must demonstrate an emphasis on community support as required by the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act. A plan for financial sustainability is also crucial and must be at the core of the charter school’s application. Further, the management plan must reflect the autonomy afforded to the charter school and must demonstrate how the school will comply with all applicable regulations.
Competitive priority preference will be given to those applicants who seek to create a brick-and-mortar charter school for students who are educationally disadvantaged, including the following: 1) students with disabilities and English language learners, 2) underserved minority student subgroups (African American, Native American, Hispanic) and 3) students residing in poverty-stricken areas.
Applications are closed for 2022
Applications are closed for 2022
Email eric.doss@opsrc.net for registration
OPSRC will regularly post information about the grant, on this webpage.