December 2022 Update
Based on guidance provided by the US Department of Education, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has decided to apply for a new State Entity (SE) grant in the summer of 2023. Here’s what the impact of this decision means for school developers and charter school design teams:
- A state cannot run two SE grants at the same time. If awarded, DPI’s new SE grant would begin in October 2023.
- The earliest DPI will be offering another charter school subgrant competition is February 2024.If DPI is awarded a new SE grant, we expect the February 2024 competition to again allow new applicants to apply for subgrants of up to five years, instead of the reduced length subgrants that would be available under our existing grant.
- Since DPI will not be running a charter school subgrant competition in February of 2023, design teams and developers may potentially be eligible to apply to the US Department of Education for a Developer grant, if the US Department of Education opts to run a competition in the coming year. Those interested in this option should communicate directly with the US Department of Education to discuss eligibility and other grant requirements.
- As part of our grant application, we intend to request a waiver that would enable us to bring existing WCSP subgrantees into the new grant to complete their subgrant periods.
- As backup, in case the DPI should not receive a new SE grant, DPI also intends to apply for a second No-Cost Extension (NCE) of the current WCSP grant for the 2023-24 school year to enable existing subgrantees to complete their subgrant periods.
This is an exciting time for charter schools in Wisconsin. We thank all of the authorizers, governance boards, and school leadership teams for their continued dedication to students all across Wisconsin. We also thank you for your patience as DPI looks forward to another quarter century of providing learning and leadership opportunities for high-quality charter schools across the great State of Wisconsin.
The U.S. Department of Education awarded Wisconsin a five-year $95 million grant to support quality charter schools in the state.
- Wisconsin Charter Schools Program Objectives
- 2022 (Round 5) Grant Information Workshops
- Subgrant Application Materials and Information
- Become a Charter Schools Subgrant Peer Reviewer
- Sign-up for the Wisconsin Charter Schools Program Updates Distribution List
- Resources
The Objectives of the Wisconsin Charter Schools Program are to:
- Support the growth of high-quality charter schools in Wisconsin, especially those focused on improving academic outcomes for educationally disadvantaged secondary students
- Strengthen and improve authorizing quality and promote the adoption of best practices for all authorizers in Wisconsin
- Promote and support collaboration and sharing of best practices between high-quality charter schools and other schools in the state, especially those that experience difficulty in adequately serving educationally disadvantaged students
2022 Grant Information Workshops
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Come learn about the upcoming charter schools grant competition including available funds, grant priorities, application requirements, and more. DPI staff will be available to answer technical questions during this time but cannot assist with actual grant writing.
- Pre-Workshop Requirement: Prior to attending a workshop, please watch the presentation below. The important information shared in the recorded presentation will not be covered again during the workshop session.
- 2022 Workshop Dates
- All workshops have been completed.
- Click here to watch a video recording of the workshop.
- Registration is Free. Click here to register for a session.
- Download a workshop flyer here.
- Prior to attending a workshop, please review this informational video.
Subgrant Application Materials and Information
Subgrants are available for eligible applicants to:
- Open and prepare for the operation of new charter schools;
- Open and prepare for the operation of replicated high-quality charter schools; and
- Expand high-quality charter schools
2021-22 Application Materials: Deadline Wednesday, February 16, 2022, All materials must be received by 4:30pm. Send all application materials to: charterschools@dpi.wi.gov.
- Charter School Grant Application Instruction
- Charter School Grant Application Form PI-9600
- Charter School Grant Appendices
- Appendix A: Grant Narrative (No Form or Worksheet Required)
- Appendix B: Letters of Support (No Form or Worksheet Required)
- Appendix C: Evidence of Charter School Approval (No Form or Worksheet Required)
- Appendix D: Performance Measures
- Appendix E: 5-Year Budget Summary PI-9600-bs
- Appendix F: Expense and Revenue Worksheet
- *Appendix G: Evidence of High Quality (No Form or Worksheet Required)
- *Appendix H: Authorizer Report (Additional Authorizer Report Information)
- *Appendix I: Governing Board Minutes (No Form or Worksheet Required)
*Replication and Expansion Grant Applicants Only
Related Application Materials:
Become a Peer Reviewer
If you are interested in becoming a peer reviewer, complete the Peer Reviewer Interest Survey.
View more information about the peer review process.
Wisconsin Charter Schools Program Grant Updates Distribution List
Click to be added to our distribution list to receive grant information updates.
Resources
- The Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools (WRCCS) is a statewide technical assistance center that serves the state by hosting and providing a wide-array of resources related to authorizing, operating, governing, and improving charter schools as well as disseminating ideas and best practices to all schools in Wisconsin.
- Wisconsin Charter Schools Program Allowable Cost Guide
- 5-Year Budget Summary PI-9600-bs
- 2014 Title V, Part B Non-Regulatory Guidance
- Information on the Federal Charter Schools Grants to State Entities Program
- Information on other Federal Charter Schools Program Grants
- Sections 4301-4311 of the ESEA, as amended by ESSA (Federal Charter Schools Program Regulations)
- Wisconsin Charter Law (Wis. Stats. 118.40)
Monitoring Materials: