APSRC FY25 CSP SE Grant

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) awarded approximately $293.7 million in new grants to six State Entities under the FY25 Charter Schools Program (CSP) State Entities Competition.

Authorized under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (20 U.S.C. 7221-7221j), the CSP State Entities Program is a competitive grant program that enables State entities to award subgrants to eligible applicants in their State to open and prepare for the operation of new charter schools and to replicate and expand high-quality charter schools.

In September 2025, the Arkansas Public School Resource Center (APSRC) was awarded a CSP SE Grant of $61,111,111 over a five-year grant period. The $61,111,111 of funding was provided to carry out the following activities in Arkansas through its FY25 CSP SE Grant:

1. Increase the number of high-quality charter schools in Arkansas with a focus on seat creation within communities that serve high concentrations of educationally disadvantaged students where public school choice options are scarce;

2. Improve educational outcomes for high-need students across Arkansas, and

3. Strengthen the sustainability of Arkansas’s charter school sector.

APSRC FY25 CSP Award Press Release

CHARTER SCHOOLS PROGRAM SUBGRANTS

APSRC Charter Schools Program Subgrants are competitive grants for the purpose of funding startup and expansion activities, including planning and implementation and costs. Applicants must apply for all funding as a part of this grant.

Grant awards may last up to three (3) total years (or 36 months) inclusive of planning and implementation periods. The planning period (no more than 18 months) for successful applicants will begin on the date that an application was approved by the CSP Selection Committee. The planning period ends June 30, of the fiscal year prior to the fiscal school year in which the school intends to open (i.e., for schools opening in 2026-27, the planning period ends June 30, 2026. For schools opening in 2027-28, the planning period ends on June 30, 2027). The implementation period begins July 1, of the school year in which the charter intends to open.

New/Replication Open-Enrollment Subgrants = up to $2,000,000

New District-Conversion Subgrants = up to $2,000,000

Open Enrollment Expansion Subgrants = up to $1,500,000

APSRC CSP SE Subgrant Application

January 2026 Competition for New/Replicating Open Enrollment, New District Conversion, and Expanding Open Enrollment

CHARTER SCHOOLS PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Only authorized schools meeting the federal definition of charter schools are eligible to apply. Applicants must have received authorization from the Arkansas Department of Education to open, expand, or replicate a high-quality charter school to be eligible for a subgrant award.

Furthermore, to be eligible to receive an award, all applicants must meet the following requirements:

1. Meet the federal definition of a charter school and/or developer.

2. Have received authorization to operate as a charter school from the Arkansas Department of Education (approved charter) and have provided adequate and timely notification to that authority that the school is applying for the APSRC subgrant.

3. Provide evidence of nonprofit status. Applicants must be a nonprofit organization to be eligible for a CSP subgrant.

4. Provide evidence of a clear separation of duties and powers between the charter school and any for-profit management organization (see application for details).

5. Provide evidence of a needs analysis and description of need for the charter school in the community, including description of local community support and other information (see application for details).

6. Complete the Assurances form in the application, agreeing to all terms and conditions of any CSP Subgrant.

CHARTER SCHOOLS PROGRAM APPLICATION PROCESS & TIMELINE

CSP Subgrant Application available - February 6, 2026

CSP Subgrant Webinar for prospective applicants - February 12, 2026

CSP Subgrant Application deadline - March 6, 2026

CSP Subgrant Awards announced - April 17, 2026

Call for Peer Reviewers

Arkansas Public School Resource Center (“APSRC”) seeks subject matter experts as peer reviewers to objectively evaluate grant applications for the APSRC Charter Schools Program (CSP) subgrant competition. Applications will be reviewed according to the rubric outlined in APSRC Request for Applications guide. The diverse Peer Review panel will possess expertise in charter school operation, governance, authorization, ﬁnance, administration, leadership, and/or law.

To learn more and submit your application, please click here.

More information will be added to this website soon, please check back for updates.

Page updated

Report abuse