Competitive Grant Opportunity Published on the TEA Grant Opportunities Page

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Texas Education Agency
Correspondence

News Bulletin

Department of Contracts, Grants and Financial Administration

November 30, 2018

Competitive Grant Opportunity Published on the TEA Grant Opportunities Page

TEA is announcing the availability of grant funds for the 2019-2021 Public Charter School Program Start-Up Grant (Subchapters D and E). Request for Application (RFA) #701-19-102 is authorized by Public Law 107-110, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title V, Part B, Subpart 1, Texas Education Code, Chapter 12. The RFA is available on the TEA Grant Opportunities Page.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are charter schools that meet the federal definition of a charter school, have never received Public Charter School Program Start-Up funds, and are one of the following:

  • An open-enrollment charter school authorized by the commissioner of education under the Generation 23 charter application pursuant to the TEC, Chapter 12, Subchapter D or Subchapter E. Please note that all contingencies pertaining to the charter application and approval must be cleared and a contract issued to the charter holder prior to receiving grant funding, if awarded.
  • An open-enrollment charter school designated by the commissioner of education, for the 2019–2020 school year, as a new school under an existing charter. Open-enrollment charter schools submitting an application for a New School Designation for the 2019–2020 school year are considered eligible to apply for the grant. However, the commissioner must designate the campus as a new school under an existing charter prior to the charter receiving grant funding, if awarded.
  • An open-enrollment charter school designated by the commissioner of education, for the 2018–2019 school year, as a new school under an existing charter that has never received Public Charter School Program Start-Up Grant funds.

Applicants that are in their first or second year of eligibility may apply for grant funding. However, if selected for funding, the award amount will be prorated based on the remaining months of eligibility.

Any charter school that does not open prior to Wednesday, September 2, 2020, after having been awarded grant funds, will be required to forfeit any remaining grant funds, and may be required to reimburse any expended amounts to TEA.

Grant Period

  • April 1, 2019 through February 28, 2021

Funding

  • It is anticipated that approximately 4 to 8 grants will be awarded ranging in amounts from $450,000 to $800,000.
  • Federal guidelines allow for start-up funding not to exceed 18 months for planning and 24 months for implementation of a charter school. Applicants who will have started school (the implementation part of the project) prior to the start date of the grant must budget no more than $30,000 per month from April 1, 2018, to the school’s 24th month of operation, which may be prior to the grant end date of February 28, 2021, contingent on the continued availability of federal funding. TEA reserves the right to reduce funding if data projections are determined not to have been realistic based on actual participation.

Description

The purpose of the 2019–2021 Public Charter School Program Start-Up Grant (Subchapters D and E) is to provide financial assistance for the planning, program design, and initial implementation of charter schools and to expand the number of high-quality charter schools available to students.

Application Deadline

Applications must be received by the Texas Education Agency by 5:00 p.m. (Central Time), January 31, 2019, to be considered for funding.