The New Hampshire Department of Education’s charter school grant competition began this week, which is expected to fund the opening of 20 new public charter schools in the Granite State.
The funding comes from a $46 million grant the state received from the federal government in 2019, intended to increase the number of charter schools in the state over a five-year period. The money will also go to overseeing existing charter schools.
Many of our current chartered public schools have long wait lists for student enrollment,” said Nate Greene, Administrator of the Bureau of Educational Opportunities at the New Hampshire Department of Education. “These funds will support our state in meeting this demand by providing greater student access, particularly to at-risk and disadvantaged students.”
New Hampshire received the first chunk of the grant – $10.1 million – in December. The measure, which was supported by Republicans, had been consistently opposed by Democrats for over a year, who argued that expanding the number of public charter schools would siphon funds away from traditional public schools.
Charter schools receive “adequacy grants” from the state at a rate of $7,188 per student, money that follows the student if the student leaves a traditional public school and goes to a charter school. The amount is a fraction of actual per-pupil costs. To make up the difference, individual schools are responsible for raising the remainder of their funds.
Several New Hampshire charter schools have announced closures this year citing funding issues, including PACE Career Academy in Pembroke, and Making Community Connections’s Manchester campus.
The Department of Education will award the federal charter school grants on a competitive basis. Priority will be given to schools that target disadvantaged and at-risk student populations or who offer highly innovative models for advancing student achievement in a given field.
Deadline to apply for the 2020-2021 grants is July 22.
“Every student in New Hampshire deserves a shot at a bright future” said Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut. “This grant will allow us to innovate instruction so that all students can find a pathway to success.”