Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP): Grants to Charter School Developers for the Replication and expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools CFDA Number 84.282E | ED GRANTS 070319 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 070319 002

This grant opportunity comes from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), under the Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP). Specifically, it is the Developer Grants competition focused on the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools, identified as CFDA (now commonly referred to as Assistance Listing) 84.282E. The program is discretionary and competitive, meaning applicants are scored against one another and awards are made based on the published selection criteria and priorities in the official Federal Register notice.

At a practical level, the grant is meant to help proven charter school operators grow what is already working. Instead of funding brand-new start-ups (a separate Developer Grants track exists for opening new charter schools), this 84.282E competition targets charter school developers that want to replicate a successful school model in a new site or expand an existing high-quality charter school to serve more students (for example, adding grade levels, increasing seats, or scaling a model across additional campuses). The broader CSP goals behind this funding are to increase the number of high-quality charter schools nationally; expand access to strong public school options for all students, with an emphasis on traditionally underserved students; support schools in meeting challenging state academic standards; and strengthen the overall charter sector by encouraging evaluation, sharing of best practices with traditional public schools, and improvements in authorizing and facilities supports.

Eligibility is narrower than it may look at first glance. The Department limits who can apply based on whether a state already has certain CSP funding at the state level. In general, eligibility for this particular competition is limited to charter school developers in states that do not currently have a CSP State Entity grant (CFDA 84.282A) under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). There is also a specific carve-out for states that have an older CSP State Educational Agency (SEA) grant under the No Child Left Behind era: in those states, charter developers may apply for replication and expansion grants (84.282E) only if the Department has not approved an amendment to the SEA grant allowing the SEA to make replication and expansion subgrants. In other words, the Department is trying to avoid duplicating funding streams in places where state-level CSP dollars already cover similar activities.

The intended beneficiaries are students served by public charter schools offering elementary education, secondary education, or both. The notice also points out that schools supported through these Developer Grants may additionally serve early childhood students or even postsecondary students, which signals flexibility in grade configurations as long as the core work aligns with public charter schooling and the grant requirements. While the summary does not list the definitions, it references that key terms (including what counts as "high-quality" and "traditionally underserved") are defined in the official notice, and those definitions typically drive how applicants must document performance, demand, enrollment, and equity practices.

From an award and timing standpoint, the opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number ED GRANTS 070319 002) was posted with applications available on July 3, 2019, and a deadline for transmittal of applications of August 2, 2019. The deadline for intergovernmental review is also listed as August 2, 2019. The Department scheduled a pre-application webinar for July 8, 2019 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time, with registration handled by email to the program inbox. The award ceiling is listed as $1,500,000, and the Department anticipated making about 10 awards, which gives a rough sense of the scale and competitiveness of the competition even though actual award sizes and final counts can vary based on appropriations, application quality, and Department decisions.

Applicants are directed repeatedly to rely on the official Federal Register notice and the Department's "Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs" (published February 13, 2019) for the binding requirements. Those documents are where an applicant would find the required forms and assurances, formatting rules, page limits, submission procedures, any absolute or competitive preference priorities, performance measures, and the detailed application narrative expectations (for example, what evidence is needed to demonstrate that a school is "high-quality" and what specific replication or expansion plan elements must be addressed). For questions, the program contact listed is Hans Neseth at the U.S. Department of Education, and the primary email for inquiries and webinar registration is charterschools@ed.gov.

In short, this is a federal grant designed to help established, effective charter school developers scale their impact through replication or expansion, with a strong emphasis on increasing access for underserved students and strengthening quality and accountability in the charter sector. The most important practical steps for any prospective applicant are confirming state-based eligibility under the CSP State Entity/SEA grant rules, aligning the proposal to the official definitions and priorities, and following the Department's discretionary grant application instructions exactly as published.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP): Grants to Charter School Developers for the Replication and expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools CFDA Number 84.282E" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.282.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 03, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 02, 2019 Applications Available July 3, 2019. Date of Pre-Application Webinar Monday, July 8, 2019, 1230 p.m., Eastern Time. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications August 2, 2019. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review August 2, 2019. Pre-Application Webinar Information The Department will hold a pre-application meeting via webinar for prospective applicants on Monday, July 8, 2019, 1230 p.m., Eastern Time. Individuals interested in attending this meeting are encouraged to pre-register by emailing their name, organization, and contact information with the subject heading DEVELOPER GRANTS PRE-APPLICATION MEETINGaposapos to charterschools@ed.gov. There is no registration fee for attending this meeting. ADDRESSES For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Hans Neseth, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 3E215, Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone (202) 401-4125. Email charterschools@ed.gov.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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