Federal Charter School Grants - Wisconsin Charter Schools Program

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The Objectives of the Wisconsin Charter Schools Program are to:

Support the growth of high-quality charter schools in Wisconsin, especially those focused on improving academic outcomes for educationally disadvantaged students.
Strengthen and improve authorizing quality and promote the adoption of best practices for all authorizers in Wisconsin.
Promote and support collaboration and sharing of best practices between high-quality charter schools and other schools in the state, especially those that experience difficulty in adequately serving educationally disadvantaged students.

In 2023, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction was awarded a $58 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support the Wisconsin Charter Schools Program (WCSP).The five-year federal grant will help the WCSP implement a statewide strategy that strengthens public charter school authorizing, supports the development of high-quality charter schools and the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools, and promotes statewide collaboration and sharing of best practices. WCSP subgrant funds are paid to subgrantees on a reimbursement basis for allowable costs.

Additional information on the program and on the upcoming subgrant competition is posted below.

Subgrant Application Materials and Information

Subgrants are available for eligible applicants to:
- Open and prepare for the operation of new charter schools;
- Open and prepare for the operation of replicated high-quality charter schools; and
- Expand high-quality charter schools

The 2027 deadline is 4:30pm on Wednesday, February 24, 2026. All materials must be submitted to charterschools@dpi.wi.gov.

Charter School Grant Appendices:

Appendix A: Grant Narrative (No Form or Worksheet Required)
Appendix B: Needs Analysis and at Least Three Letters of Support (No Form or Worksheet Required)
Appendix C: Evidence of Charter School Approval (No Form or Worksheet Required)
Appendix D: Performance Measures
Appendix E: Budget Summary PI-9600-bs (Applicants complete Rows 13-27, subgrantees complete entire form)
Appendix F: Non-WCSP Expenses and Per-Pupil FTE Revenue Projections
*Appendix G: Evidence of High Quality (No Form or Worksheet Required)
*Appendix H: Authorizer Report (Additional Authorizer Report Information)
*Appendix I: Governing Board Minutes (No Form or Worksheet Required)

*Replication and Expansion Grant Applicants Only

Related Application Materials:

Resources For Existing Subgrantees

The Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools (WRCCS) is a statewide technical assistance center that serves the state by hosting and providing a wide-array of resources related to authorizing, operating, governing, and improving charter schools as well as disseminating ideas and best practices to all schools in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Charter Schools Program Allowable Cost Guide
5-Year Budget Summary PI-9600-bs (For cohort 1, 2, and 3, complete at the end of every fiscal year or following final claim)
Federal Charter Schools Program Regulations and Guidance (see Funding and Legislation tab)
Information on the Federal Charter Schools Grants to State Entities Program
Information on other Federal Charter Schools Program Grants
Sections 4301-4311 of the ESEA, as amended by ESSA (Federal Charter Schools Program Regulations)
Wisconsin Charter Law (Wis. Stats. 118.40)

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