League Selected to Run Federal Charter School Program for Colorado
U.S. Department of Education Selects the Colorado League of Charter Schools
to Administer $68 million in Charter School Program Funding
The League’s “Great Schools Colorado” project will support 30 subgrant awards and technical assistance for new, expanding, and replicating charter schools across the state.
DENVER — Sep. 27, 2024 — The U.S. Department of Education has announced that it will partner with the Colorado League of Charter Schools to distribute over $68 million in federal education funding to charter schools in Colorado. The funding is part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Charter Schools Program (CSP), and the funds will be distributed through the League’s “Great Schools Colorado” project.
Over the CSP program’s five-year period, the League will provide up to 30 subgrants that focus on two objectives:
- Increasing the number of high-quality charter schools and high-quality charter school seats in Colorado with an emphasis on how programs drive academic outcomes for educationally disadvantaged and at-risk students.
- Improving the quality of Colorado’s charter school sector and intensifying its impact on overall school quality and school improvement across the state.
“All Colorado children – regardless of zip code, race, income or ability – deserve access to high-quality, public school options that best meet their needs and provide opportunities to help them reach their full potential,” said Dan Schaller, President of the Colorado League of Charter Schools. “Colorado’s charter schools are known for their innovation and flexibility in providing unique educational alternatives, and the Great Schools Colorado program will help ensure charter schools continue providing opportunities for all students – especially those who have been historically marginalized and systemically underserved.”
Charter schools do not receive per-pupil funding until they open and students enroll, so the CSP provides essential short-term funding to cover public charter school start-up costs. The CSP is the only source of dedicated federal funding for charter schools and represents less than 1% of total K-12 federal education funding. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that more than one million students have access to high-quality public charter schools that would not have existed without the CSP.
“As a champion for charter schools in our state, we are honored that the U.S. Department of Education has selected us to administer these funds as part of our ‘Great Schools Colorado’ initiative,” said Dawna Taylor, Chief of Staff and Vice President of School Services at the Colorado League of Charter Schools. “Colorado charter schools educate more than 135,000 students, over 50% of whom are students of color. We are excited that this funding will help increase high-quality charter options for students and families throughout our state.”
Colorado is ranked as the No. 2 state nationwide for charter school student performance (Education Next, 2023). By almost every measure, low-income students and students of color in charters achieve better educational outcomes than their non-charter peers (CREDO/Stanford 2023). And those performance gaps between charter and non-charter students tend to grow at the upper grades, suggesting that prolonged exposure to a charter school education pays increasing dividends over time.
“Charter schools are about giving students and families opportunity and leveling the playing field for equitable education,” Taylor added. “These CSP funds will give students in Colorado access to more education options and help ensure that families can select the public school experience that best meets their student’s needs.”
About the Colorado League of Charter Schools
The Colorado League of Charter Schools is a nonprofit, membership-based organization representing the interests of the state’s 265 charter schools and the families of the more than 135,000 students attending them. Our mission is to improve student achievement by supporting Colorado’s charter schools, positively reshaping the public school landscape, and advancing opportunities for innovation and expanded choice. The League strives to ensure that all Colorado students, regardless of background, have access to high-quality public school options. More information is available at www.coloradoleague.org.
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Press inquiries: Peter Mason, [email protected]
VP Communications, Colorado League of Charter Schools
