FY2025: Charter School Program Start-Up Grant

Fund Code: 0535

Purpose:

The purpose of the Massachusetts Charter Schools Program (CSP) Start-Up Grant is to award subgrants to eligible applicants to open and prepare for the operation of new charter schools; (ESEA, 4303 (b)(1) (A-C))¹. See Definitions under Additional Information for federal and state definitions of a charter school.

Priorities:

Priority will be given to charter schools that provide equitable access to a high-quality public education, specifically:

1. In year one, priority will be given to charter schools that enroll a demographic composition that mirrors that of the sending districts, by enrolling comparable or greater percentages of low income and other student groups who have been traditionally underserved.

2. By year two, charter schools that enroll a greater percentage of low income and one other student group who has been traditionally underserved, such as English learners, Hispanic students, or African American students in comparison with the sending districts.

Priority will also be given to charter schools that establish high school and post-secondary success, specifically:

3. For charter schools that serve students in secondary grades who are residents of districts where the high school graduation rate and/or the ninth-grade course completion and passing rate are below the statewide average and adopt an educational program that incorporates evidence-based strategies to improve outcomes for secondary students.

Eligibility:

This funding opportunity is for new charter schools or entities that meet the state and federal definition of charter school under ESSA, Sec 4310 (2) (See Part II for definition) or charter school developers who meet the federal definition under ESEA § 4310(5) who were awarded a charter by the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education since February 2023.

Funding Type:

Federal CFDA# 84.282

Federal grant funds must adhere to:

• UGG (2 CFR 200)
• EDGAR As Applicable
• EDGAR General Fiscal Administration 34 CFR Part 76

Funding:

Approximately $1,750,000 million is available:

Base amount of $1,000,000 will be available for new schools for Implementation and/or Planning

• Planning Grant (if applicable): Up to $500,000 for up to 12-months. Funding is contingent upon satisfactory progress for the required Charter School Opening Procedures which ensures compliance with federal and state law and regulations applicable to charter schools.
• Implementation Grant: Up to $1,000,000 over 36 months (total Planning and Implementation base amount will not exceed $1,000,000 or 36 months). Funding is contingent upon satisfactory progress for the required Charter School Opening Procedures which ensures compliance with federal and state law and regulations applicable to charter schools.

Additional funds are available if a charter school achieves the Priorities listed above:

• Priority a: $300,000
• Priority b: $300,000
• Priority c: $200,000

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

Fund Use:

All expenditures must be allowable, necessary, reasonable, and allocable. An eligible applicant receiving a subgrant shall use the funds for one or more of the following purposes listed in ESSA, Section 4303(h) (outlined in Allowed/Unallowed Costs Guidance under Additional Information).

1. Preparing teachers, school leaders, and specialized instructional support personnel, including through paying the costs associated with providing professional development, and hiring and compensating teachers, school leaders and specialized instructional support personnel during the planning period.

2. Acquiring supplies, training, equipment (including technology), and educational materials (including developing and acquiring instructional materials).

3. Carrying out necessary renovations to ensure that a new school building complies with applicable statutes and regulations, and minor facilities repairs (excluding construction).

4. Providing one-time, startup costs associated with providing transportation to students to and from the charter school.

5. Carrying out community engagement activities, which may include paying the cost of student and staff recruitment.

6. Providing for other appropriate, non-sustained costs related to the opening and preparation to open, replicate, or expand a charter school.

Unallowable costs include the following:

1. Construction;

2. Personnel costs that are related to ongoing operations of the charter school (personnel expenses incurred before or after the school's opening are allowed as long as these expenses are associated with initial implementation activities);

3. Indirect costs

Please refer to the Allowable/Unallowable Costs Guidance in Part III for more details and examples.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval* – 6/30/2025

* Grant start date cannot be prior to DESE receiving a substantially approvable Application Submission as directed in this RFP's Submission Instructions. Goods and Services cannot be procured prior to Grants receiving and approving an application submission. Funds cannot exceed the project duration end date.

Program Unit:

Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign

Contact:

Joanna Laghetto

Phone Number:

(781) 338-3221

Date Due:

Friday August 30, 2024 for existing school

There may be a second due date if charter is awarded in February 2025.

Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due.

Additional Information:

• Definitions

• Allowed/Unallowed Costs Guidance

Submission Instructions:

The FY25 Fund Code 0535 Charter School Program Start-Up Grant will be completed and submitted in our new Grants for Education Management System (GEM$). GEM$ is a cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system that will eventually phase out the use of EdGrants.

Please Note: Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off. All these roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. This form can be accessed without logging in to the system.

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¹ SEC. 4303. GRANTS TO SUPPORT HIGH-QUALITY CHARTER SCHOOLS. (a) STATE ENTITY DEFINED. —For purposes of this section, the term ''State entity'' means— (1) a State educational agency; (2) a State charter school board; (3) a Governor of a State; or (4) a charter school support organization. (b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From the amount available under section 4302(b)(3), the Secretary shall award, on a competitive basis, grants to State entities having applications approved under subsection (f) to enable such entities to— (1) award subgrants to eligible applicants to enable eligible applicants to— (A) open and prepare for the operation of new charter schools; (B) open and prepare for the operation of replicated high-quality charter schools; or (C) expand high-quality charter schools; and (2) provide technical assistance to eligible applicants and authorized public chartering agencies in carry out the activities described in paragraph (1), and work with authorized public chartering agencies in the state to improve authorizing quality, including developing capacity for, and conducting, fiscal oversight and auditing of charter schools.

² The term ''developer'' means an individual or group of individuals (including a public or private nonprofit organization), which may include teachers, administrators and other school staff, parents, or other members of the local community in which a charter school project will be carried out.

Last Updated: June 14, 2024