Step #1: Determine if your school is eligible to apply:
Eligible applicants must have an approved charter school petition from a Pennsylvania authorizer in order to apply for Federal CSP dollars under this program. Each school will be a nonprofit, brick-and-mortar charter school. 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.
Step #2: Determine the type of grant you will be applying for:
PACSP will award three types of subgrants through the grant program. Eligible applicants may apply for development of a new charter school, expansion of an existing high-quality charter school, or replication of an existing high-quality charter school.
Development of new charter school
- School must be a brick-and-mortar charter school
- School must have an approved charter in the state of Pennsylvania
- School must meet the federal ESSA definition of a charter school as defined on page 2 of the Eligibility Guide
Expansion of an existing high-quality charter school
- School must be a brick-and-mortar charter school
- School must have an approved charter in the state of Pennsylvania
- School must meet the federal ESSA definitions of a charter school, expansion, and high-quality on pages 2 and 3 of the Eligibility Guide
- School can either “significantly increase enrollment” or add one or more grades to the existing high-quality charter school
- PACSP definition of “significant increase in enrollment” – School must verify an increase in overall total enrollment by 20% (rounded to nearest whole number and not limited to the year in which the prospective applicant intends to apply).
Replication of an existing high-quality charter school
- School must be a brick-and-mortar charter school
- School must have an approved charter in the state of Pennsylvania
- School must meet the federal ESSA definitions of a charter school, replication, and high-quality as defined on pages 2 and 3 of the Eligibility Guide
- Replication is defined: “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”
Step #3: Understand what can be funded under PACSP:
The grant funds can be used by to eligible applicants for activities related to opening and preparing for the operation of new charter school or to replicate or expand high-quality charter schools. Allowable costs are organized into three categories listed below:
- Classroom Level Expenditures – Focus on providing a learning environment appropriate to age-level and the academic model of instruction. Ensures adequate resources are available to meet the needs of all students with specific focus on supplies.
- Instructional Support – Focus on providing a learning environment supporting all learners at their level of academic mastery. May include staffing resources, supplemental materials, etc.
- Operations – Focus on implementation of an infrastructure supportive of the academic model. May include equipment, software, and other technology supporting the collection and analysis of data.
Some examples of allowable subgrantee expenses include:
- Planning and program design that does not exceed 18 months
- One-time costs for the purpose of opening, replicating, or expanding
- Costs with preparing teachers, school leaders, and specialized instructional support personnel
- Supplies, training, equipment, and educational materials
- Renovations for a new school building to comply with applicable statues and regulations (construction is excluded)
- Community engagement activities
The following items CANNOT be funded under this grant. Any proposed expenditures including the following items will not be funded:
- Grant funds may not be used to offset or cover costs of preparing and applying for CSP grant funds.
- Capital expenses, such as remodeling, technology leases, elevators, water main valves, vans, tractors, bobcats, or permanent fixture of equipment/furniture
- Professional dues or memberships
- Employee hiring/recruitment expenses such as a placement firm or travel for prospective employees
- Non-educational/non-informative promotional/novelty items for advertising, events, or recruiting
- Grant oversight expenses
- Costs of continuing education credits for professional development coursework
- Gift certificates, alcoholic beverages, school apparel for staff or students, fines and penalties, lobbying
- Food for meetings or any other purposes
- It is expressly prohibited to use CSP grant funds for the purchase or leasing of a facility.
As a general matter, an expenditure that is not specifically authorized by statute must be necessary, reasonable, and allowable to the grant in order to be allowable under the CSP (2 CFR 200.403 (a)).
Step #4: Understand the requirements of subgrantees:
Participation is an inherent expectation and required in return for funding. Subgrantees are expected to meet technical assistance, evaluation, and reporting participation requirements.
Award amounts may be reduced if subgrantees do not adhere to the terms of their grant. This reduction in award amounts may include situations where:
- Projected enrollment is not met
- Technical assistance requirements are not completed each year
- Funds are not spent in a timely manner
- Required reporting is not completed
Step #5: Begin thinking through the application requirements:
The subgrant application will require many components for prospective subgrantees, including but not limited to:
- A detailed description of how the school plans to enroll significant numbers of at-risk students and how it plans to provide those students with instructionally rigorous and culturally affirming educational experiences.
- In the case of existing operators seeking expansion or replication funding, a disaggregated breakdown of student performance by subgroup at all schools affiliated with the operator in all regions.
- A detailed budget and budget narrative that explain how subgrant funds will be used to support the opening and preparation for operation of a new, expanded, or replicated school, along with a detailed explanation of how programming will be sustained after the close of the grant period.
- An organizational chart that depicts how roles and responsibilities will be apportioned among key individuals and entities, including the Board of Trustees, Lead Person, charter management organization, staff, and external partners.
- A copy of the written charter (see 24 Pa. Stat. Ann. § 17-1720-A) that sets forth the manner in which the school will be held accountable and the flexibilities and autonomies it is afforded as a charter operator.
- Artifacts that demonstrate the extent to which the applicant has engaged parents and community members during the school planning and design processes, and a detailed plan for soliciting parental and community input on the use of CSP funds.
- A description of how the school will work with districts to ensure students receive transportation consistent with the requirements of 24 Pa. Stat. Ann. §§ 17-1726-A. Lastly, in addition to the informational sections, the application will contain several competitive preference priorities.
- Schools will be able to earn additional points upon demonstration that their projects are tightly aligned to the PACSP Logic Model and project objectives. Specifically, applicants will be asked to address the following competitive preference priorities:
- Providing services in Qualified Opportunity Zones
- Providing services to rural communities
- Educating high school students
- Serving at-risk student populations
- Promoting equity and inclusion
- Contributing to the diversity of charter school models in existence across the Commonwealth
Step #6: Begin assembling documents:
The subgrant application will require many components for prospective subgrantees, including but not limited to:
- Qualifications and Resumes of Chief Executive Officer/Head of School/Principal
- Job Description or Qualifications, Timeline, Criteria, and Recruitment/Selection Process for Chief Executive Officer/Head of School/Principal
- Qualifications and Resumes of Founding Coalition
- Qualifications and Resumes of Board Members
- Complete Staffing Chart
- Proof of 501(c)3 Non-Profit Status and Federal Tax-Exempt Status (or copies of fillings)
- Articles of Incorporation
- Board Bylaws
- Conflict of Interest Policy
- School Financial Policies and Procedures
- School Enrollment Policies and Procedures
- Intent to lease or purchase as well as supporting documents providing details of facility
- Evidence of secured grants or application for grant funds (other than CSP)
- School Organizational Chart
- Approved charter school petition from a PA authorizer
- Artifacts for parent, family, and community engagement
- Transportation policies and procedures
- Transportation Track Record Attachments
- Pre-existing student data
- Audited Financials (up to last 5 years)
- 990s (up to last 5 years)
- Internal Financials (up to last 3 years)
- Charter schools already in operation and planning to expand or replicate must provide additional information:
- A disaggregated breakdown of student performance by race, gender, and special populations at all schools affiliated with the operator in all regions
- A municipal audit of financial accounts for the past five years, or all years of operation if less than five years.
- Applications to expand or replicate schools will be evaluated based on their documented track record in the areas of academic success, organizational compliance and viability, and financial health and sustainability.
Step #7: Schedule a meeting to share your plans!
Contact Cheryl Johnson Watts, CSP Project Director, at c.watts@pacharters.org to schedule a meeting.
The contents of this document were developed under a Charter Schools Program (CSP) grant awarded to the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
