Comment Period Opened for 2014 Application Guidelines for New Charter Schools

June 10, 2013

Washington, D.C. — The DC Public Charter School Board has released for public comment the 2014 Application Guidelines for New Charter Schools in the District of Columbia. The guidelines provide the steps required for organizations or individuals seeking approval to open a new charter school or convert a traditional, parochial or private school. The application deadline is March 3, 2014. Approved schools would be authorized to open in the fall of 2015.

The public comment period opens June 10, 2013, and will close on Tuesday July 9, 2013. A public hearing will be held during the board’s monthly meeting on Monday June 24, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. at the DC Public Charter School Board, 3333 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC. The final guidelines will be published on August 2.

The following changes were made to the 2014 Application Guidelines for New Charter Schools:

1.    Definitions were revised or added
2.    The Goals and Student Academic Achievement sections were amended to align with the recent "Elect the PMF as Charter Goals" policy, voted for approval in February 2013.
3.    Specific questions related to students with disabilities and English language learners were integrated throughout the Educational Plan to allow the applicant to address student achievement in addition to legal compliance.
4.    Questions were deleted to decrease redundancy
5.    The mandatory dissolution clause in the District of Columbia School Reform Act of 1995, as amended, was added to ensure applicants include this clause in their bylaws.

These changes were made to the Experienced Operator Guidelines and are being applied to the 2014 Application Guidelines for New Charter Schools.

To submit written comments, please email Isoken Igodan, [email protected], or mail them to DC Public Charter School Board, 3333 14th Street, NW, Suite 210, Washington, DC 20010. To sign up to testify at the public hearing, please email [email protected] or call the PCSB office at (202) 328-2660 by 4:00 pm on Friday, June 21 to be placed on the witness list. Testimony will be limited to two minutes. Please bring copies of your testimony to the hearing. To download a copy of the guidelines click here.

About PCSB: The DC Public Charter School Board (PCSB) is setting a national model for creating quality public school options through its rigorous review of new charter applications and effective oversight of charter school performance that is leading the transformation of public education in Washington, DC. PCSB currently oversees 57 public charter schools on 102 campuses serving 34,673 students living in every ward of the city. Learn more at www.dcpcsb.org.