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U.S. Department of Education Awards $253 Million in Grants to Expand Charter Schools

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced that The Expanding Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Program (Charter Schools Program or CSP) has awarded new grants this week to fund the creation and expansion of public charter schools across the nation, totaling approximately $253 million.

"These grants will help supplement state-based efforts to give students access to more options for their education," said Secretary DeVos. "What started as a handful of schools in Minnesota has blossomed into nearly 7,000 charter schools across the country. Charter schools are now part of the fabric of American education, and I look forward to seeing how we can continue to work with states to help ensure more students can learn in an environment that works for them."

The following grants slates were awarded:

These grants are awarded to state educational agencies and other state entities, charter management organizations (CMOs) and other non-profit organizations and represent the first cohort of new awards under the program's new authorizing statute, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Please see below for the list of grantees, first year grant amounts and total recommended funding (contingent on future Congressional appropriations).

State Entity Grantees:

Grantee Name FY 17 Funding (Year 1 and 2 Funding) Total Recommended Funding
Indiana Department of Education $24,002,291 $59,966,575
Maryland State Department of Education $5,490,859 $17,222,222
Minnesota Department of Education $22,381,611 $45,757,406
Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board* $4,240,819 $15,000,000
New Mexico Public Education Department $6,358,693 $22,507,805
Oklahoma Public School Resource Center, Inc.* $4,264,870 $16,499,722
Rhode Island Department of Education $1,953,000 $6,000,000
Texas Education Agency $38,034,535 $59,164,996
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction $37,954,114 $95,777,775
Total $144,680,792 $331,896,501

* Eligible applicants under this program are state entities. A state entity is defined under ESSA as a state educational agency; a state charter school board; a Governor of a state; or a charter school support organization.

CMO Grantees:

Grantee Name State** FY17 Funding Total Recommended Funding
Ascend Learning, Inc. NY $3,661,357 $9,484,885
Brooke Charter Schools MA $353,747 $836,136
Eagle Academy Public Charter School DC $449,066 $812,885
East Harlem Tutorial Program NY $542,640 $2,781,280
Environmental Charter Schools CA $566,063 $900,000
Family Life Academy Charter Schools, Inc. NY $739,260 $900,000
Fortune School of Education CA $1,350,600 $2,043,100
Freedom Preparatory Academy, Inc. TN $1,451,301 $4,297,000
Great Oaks Foundation, Inc. NY $1,958,400 $3,834,000
Hiawatha Academies MN $1,121,400 $1,875,000
IDEA Public Schools TX $26,316,168 $67,243,986
New Paradigm for Education, Inc MI $2,365,400 $5,084,100
Rocketship Education CA $5,090,134 $12,582,678
Success Academy Charter Schools, Inc. NY $3,225,240 $6,130,200
The Freedom and Democracy Schools Foundation, Inc. MD $603,003 $1,533,528
University Prep Inc. CO $1,360,730 $3,734,750
Voices College-Bound Language Academies CA $1,258,415 $2,699,999
Total: $52,412,924 $126,773,527

**State reflects where the organization is based; school expansion sites funded under this grant may differ.

Credit Enhancement Grantees:

Grantee Name State** FY17 and Total Project Funding
Building Hope...A Charter Schools Facilities Fund DC $8,000,000
California School Finance Authority CA $8,000,000
Center for Community Self-Help NC $8,000,000
Charter Schools Development Corporation MD $5,000,000
Hope Enterprise Corporation MS $8,000,000
Low Income Investment Fund CA $8,000,000
Massachusetts Development Finance Agency MA $8,000,000
Raza Development Fund AZ $3,250,000
Total $56,250,000

**State reflects where the organization is based; school expansion sites funded under this grant may differ.

Additional information regarding these grant programs and awards, including copies of grantee applications, may be found at: https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/charter-schools/.