LEARN Charter School Network Seeks to Come to DC

The DC Public Charter School Board (DC PCSB) received one proposal from the LEARN Charter School Network (LEARN) seeking to open a new public charter school in Washington, DC. The proposal is for a K-8 college preparatory program that aims to serve military families stationed on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) alongside DC families. Should the school be chartered, it would be eligible to reserve up to 50% of its seats for the children of military personnel. If approved, the public charter school will open in the 2021-22 school year.

LEARN, an Illinois nonprofit organization, opened its first school in 2001 and currently operates 10 charter schools in the Chicagoland area, including two programs on Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago. LEARN was selected to open a school on JBAB, located in Ward 8, through a competitive selection process in 2017. More information on that selection process can be found here. LEARN needs to be approved by the DC PCSB board before it can operate a public charter school in DC.

By law, DC PCSB’s seven-member board can approve up to 20 new public charter schools to open each year. DC PCSB typically approves less than one-third of new applicants.

Over the next nine weeks, DC PCSB staff will review the application, conduct a capacity interview, and visit existing schools run by the LEARN Charter School Network.

The board will hold a public hearing on October 15 and vote on the new school proposals at its regular board meeting in November. Their application ia available online. 

The DC Public Charter School Board (DC PCSB) received one proposal from the LEARN Charter School Network (LEARN) seeking to open a new public charter school in Washington, DC.