About

The opportunity

The U.S. Department of Education has partnered with the Colorado League of Charter Schools to distribute $68,146,405 in initial federal education funding to charter schools in Colorado and an additional supplemental award of over $9 million in the fall of 2025. The funding is part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Charter Schools Program (CSP), and the funds will be distributed through the League’s “Great Schools Colorado” project. 

Demand for alternatives to existing public school options in Colorado remains significant, and the Great Schools Colorado project will support the creation of high-quality charter school seats in communities that have manifested an interest in alternative models that better meet the needs of students. The project will also strengthen support for the implementation of high-quality authorizing across Colorado.  

The League will provide over 30 subgrants to new, expanding, and replicating schools and six continuation awards to current CDE subgrantees whose project periods remain ongoing.

The objectives

Two objectives over the five-year project period:

1. Increase the number of high-quality charter schools and high-quality charter school seats in Colorado
2. Improve the quality of Colorado’s charter school sector and intensify its impact on overall school quality and school improvement across the state

Each of these objectives is supported by a series of tightly aligned SMART performance measures.

Our logic

Our Logic Model is anchored in four empirically grounded propositions: 

1. that Colorado’s charter schools have consistently provided excellent educational options for all students, particularly those classified as educationally disadvantaged or at-risk; 
2. that targeted start-up support in key operational areas is a reliable driver of a charter school’s ultimate quality and sustainability; 
3. that the adoption of effective authorizing practices leads to improved school-level outcomes; 
4. and that innovative charter schools play a critical role in driving continuous improvement throughout a state’s system of public schools.

Eligibility

The Great Schools Colorado funding opportunity is designed for and open to developers of Colorado public charter schools and operating public charter schools that meet the federal definitions of a “charter school” and “developer.” 

Public charter schools in Colorado may be authorized by their local school district or the Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI). 

Grant applicants must conform to the federal definition of a public charter school in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to be eligible for grant funds under the CSP. 

Additionally, new charter school developers must have submitted a complete application or prospectus to the district authorizer. Existing operators will be eligible if they have gone through at least one renewal cycle successfully, meet the federal definition of high quality, and have notified their authorizer of their intent to expand or replicate. In all cases, only after they are approved by the authorizer are they eligible to begin accessing funds from the subgrant.

Great Schools Colorado seeks to identify quality eligible applicants that have the capacity to meet the program objective of serving more students, especially educationally disadvantaged, high school students, rural students, or for a school located in a high-need district, or by engaging educators or a community-centered approach.

Applicants must meet at least one of the following conditions: 

• The applicant has submitted an application to operate, expand, or replicate a charter school to a local board of education or the Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI) and the charter application has been approved; or
• The applicant has submitted an application or prospectus to operate, expand, or replicate a charter school to a local board of education or the Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI) and the charter application is pending approval; or
• The charter application has been denied and an appeal to the Colorado State Board of Education is pending a decision; or
• The applicant is in year one or two of operating a new charter school, or in year one or two of its approved expansion.

Grant Types

The following grant types are eligible for funding. Please reference the application for the current grant cycle to see which grant types are offered in the current competition.

• New Charter School - approved and in their pre-opening or first year of operations.
• Replication of a High-Quality Charter School - open a new charter school or campus based upon the educational model of an existing high-quality charter school.
• Expansion of a High-Quality Charter School - significantly increase enrollment (30%) or add one or more grades to a high-quality charter school.
• Pre-K Expansion - expansion to add Pre-K only to a high-quality charter school.
• Conversion - a conversion of an existing public school into a public charter school.

All eligible applicants will be assigned to cohorts of similarly situated schools (i.e., Planning, Implementation Year 1, and Implementation Year 2) and will be required to complete technical assistance training tailored to the needs of Colorado charter schools at that stage of growth. 

Subgrantees
Charter schools seeking expansion funding will need to demonstrate that they have not experienced significant operational, financial, safety, or compliance issues.

For applicants seeking expansion or replication subgrants, CLCS will employ a two-step process to verify that the school satisfies the federal definition of “high-quality” set forth in section 4310(8).

All schools must obtain certification statements from their authorizers affirming that they remain in good standing on an array of specific indicators.

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About the League

The Colorado League of Charter Schools is a nonprofit, membership-based organization dedicated to supporting charter schools in Colorado. Founded in 1994, membership is open to all charter schools in Colorado to help them reach higher levels of student performance and overall success. 

From technical support and public relations assistance to professional development and advocacy, we provide a steady stream of up-to-date information and resources to enhance achievement and streamline operations. We also offer guidance and assistance for developing new charter school groups, including application reviews, contract negotiations, and general start-up support.