2023-2024 Significant Expansion Data Submission Memorandum and Instructions
Submission Deadline Thursday, June 1, 2023 at 12:00 p.m.

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The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) collects enrollment data from charter schools that qualify as "new" or "significantly expanding" to plan for entitlement grant allocations for the upcoming fiscal year 2024 (FY2024). This memorandum provides an explanation of the report, instructions for FY2024 submissions, and a list of eligible charter schools. If your school qualifies as a new or significantly expanding charter school, a significant expansion report must be submitted to the Department. All significant expansion enrollment data will be submitted via the Charter School Significant Expansion (Charter School Sig. Expansion) application within the Security Portal by 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 1, 2023.

Determination of Charter Schools that are New or Significantly Expanding

New charter schools are schools that have not yet completed implementation of their chartered grade span and maximum enrollment under a charter recently awarded by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board). Federal regulations define a significant expansion as a "substantial increase in the number of students attending a charter school due to a significant event that is unlikely to occur on a regular basis, such as the addition of one or more grades or educational programs in major curriculum areas." Minor increases in enrollment caused by normal turnover are not considered significant expansion.

In Massachusetts, the Department utilizes the following criteria to determine whether a charter school will experience a significant expansion.

• The charter school's enrollment based on October 1 SIMS is at least 10 percent greater than the previous year; and
• The charter school is expanding for one of the following reasons:
  1. adding one or more grades according to a growth plan;
  2. the Board approved an amendment to the school's charter to increase enrollment; or
  3. a school has secured new space to allow for an approved expansion that was previously restricted by inadequate facilities.

Instructions for Charter Schools that are New or Significantly Expanding

The Department recommends that schools take the following steps prior to inputting enrollment data:

1. Identify all students enrolled for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year, including current students who will return and students who are newly admitted.
   • Organize student information by English proficiency levels. Identify the total number of English learners.
   • Organize student information for students on Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). Identify the total number of students receiving special education services.
   
   

   Please note that students may be reported in more than one category.

Detailed step-by-step instructions are available within the Charter School Sig. Expansion application within the Security Portal.

The school leader is required to submit the data, even if someone else enters the enrollment figures into the application. Please plan to carefully check the data you will report before submitting. The Department has populated the security portal application with likely eligible charter schools. If you believe your school was inadvertently omitted from the list displayed below, please contact Brenton Stewart .

If circumstances have changed and your school will not increase its population by the 10 percent threshold for the 2023-2024 school year when compared to the 2022-2023 school year enrollment, please contact Brenton Stewart and do not complete this report. Over-reporting enrollment figures results in initial lower allocations to other charters and districts as well as a less efficient distribution of Title program funds. Please be assured that you will receive your commensurate share of funds even if you do not significantly expand.

FY2024 Charter Schools Expected to Significantly Expand

Do you have questions or need assistance? Please contact Brenton Stewart in the Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign.

Thank you in advance for your attention to this important matter.

Last Updated: May 2, 2023