A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

FOR RELEASE
May 4, 2000

Contact: Erica Lepping
(202) 401-3383

Melinda Kitchell Malico
(202) 401-1008

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded the first $16 million of more than $137 million in grants that will be awarded this year to help meet the increasing demand for public charter schools, President Clinton announced today.

U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley said, "These grants will help support the growing desire for schools that provide a quality public education, offer great flexibility and opportunities for innovation and are fully accountable for the communities they serve."

More than $11 million is being awarded to New Mexico, Kansas, Pennsylvania and South Carolina for the first year of three-year grants to support start-up and development of additional charter schools. Kansas, Pennsylvania and South Carolina each received earlier three-year grants which have since expired.

In addition to these state awards, more than $5 million will go to 36 schools in Arizona and one in Nevada that receive funds directly.

In addition, more than $121 million will be allocated to support schools in 27 additional states, the District of Columbia (D.C.) and Puerto Rico that are receiving their second- or third-year funding. The remaining $7 million will support national activities including maintaining a national Web site dedicated to charter schools—www.uscharterschools.org. In addition, the other money will help provide broad technical assistance; identify and share model assessment practices in charter and non-charter schools; support new and ongoing research and evaluation; and support regional workshops and a national conference.

Charter schools are public schools operating with a contract—or charter—from a public agency. They are created by groups of parents, teachers, school administrators, or others who want to provide alternatives within the public school system. Museums, local businesses, and community organizations are among the partners involved.

The schools are free, open to all, and designed to be publicly accountable and responsive to both student and parent needs. Charter schools must be non-sectarian and abide by the civil rights, health and safety laws. They must also meet standards set forth in their charters for students and the school as a whole, or else the chartering agency can close the school.

More than 1,700 charter schools are operating this school year, putting the nation more than halfway to the president?s goal of establishing 3,000 charter schools by the year 2002.

President Clinton has requested $175 million from Congress for the Public Charter Schools Program (PCSP) in fiscal year 2001 to provide start-up funds for a new round of schools, as well as continued support for existing charter schools. The three-year grants cover costs associated with growth and development.

Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah and Virginia are receiving either their second or final year of support to continue charter schools development. Schools in Nevada and Arizona are receiving funds directly from the program.

Congress reauthorized the program in 1998 under the Charter Schools Expansion Act. Under the act, states may use up to 10 percent of their state grant to fund two-year grants to successful charter schools that allow them to share best practices with those who are creating new schools and those operating existing public schools. To be eligible for the dissemination grants, charter schools must have operated for at least three consecutive years and have demonstrated improved student achievement, high levels of parent satisfaction, and the leadership necessary to ensure a financially secure and educationally viable charter school. While most states with eligible charter schools are expected to conduct their own competitions for dissemination grants, the U.S. Education Department directly funded dissemination grants in four individual schools in Arizona.

FISCAL YEAR 2000
Public Charter Schools Program Grantees-New Grants

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