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.
In 2023, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction was awarded a $58 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support the Wisconsin Charter Schools Program (WCSP).The five-year federal grant will help the WCSP implement a statewide strategy that strengthens public charter school authorizing, supports the development of high-quality charter schools and the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools, and promotes statewide collaboration and sharing of best practices. WCSP subgrant funds are paid to subgrantees on a reimbursement basis for allowable costs.
Additional information on the program and on the upcoming subgrant competition is posted below.
Subgrant Application Materials and Information
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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
The 2025 deadline is 4:30pm on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. All materials must be submitted to charterschools@dpi.wi.gov.
Charter School Grant Appendices:
- Appendix A: Grant Narrative (No Form or Worksheet Required)
- Appendix B: Needs Analysis and at Least Three 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:
Grant Information Workshops
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Come learn about the upcoming WCSP subgrant competition including available funds, grant priorities, application requirements, and more. Every school year a competition is run, DPI staff will be available to answer technical questions during this time. DPI staff cannot assist with actual grant writing.
- 2025 Workshop Dates
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November 4, 2024 - 9am, recording available here. Presentation can be found here.
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Become a Peer Reviewer
If you are interested in becoming a peer reviewer, complete the Peer Reviewer Interest Survey.
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
- Federal Charter Schools Program Regulations and Guidance (see Funding and Legislation tab)
- 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)