Starting a Charter School?

Charter School Law and Requirements

Process and Timeline

Charter Starter Guidebook

Authorizer’s Primer

Statewide Start-Up Resources

Chicago Start-Up Resources

CMOs / EMOs

Links and Resources

Start-Up Funding

The Illinois State Board of Education recently released its RFP for the FY 2008 Federal Public Charter Schools Start-Up Program.  This grant program provides planning and implementation grants for new Illinois charter public schools.  The application deadlines for 2008 are February 31 and April 1. For a summary of the grants available, see chart below.  Please see the RFP for more details and application guidelines at: http://www.isbe.net/charter/pdf/charter_rfp.pdf 

For more information, contact Richard Loman at rloman@isbe.net or 217-782-2948. 

The following chart provides an overview of the grants available to Illinois charter school designers and operators through the FY 2008 Federal Public Charter Schools Start-Up Program.

• Grant Type	Funding Range	2008 Application Deadlines*	Eligibility
  Pre-Charter Planning Grant	$10,000 to $12,000	February 29, 2008 April 30, 2008	Charter application must be submitted to local school board
  Planning Grants	$50,000 to $75,000	April 1, 2008	Charter school must be approved by local school board
  Implementation Grants	$150,000 to $200,000	April 1, 2008	First two years of charter school operations

*ISBE has received three years of funding, so additional application deadlines will be posted for years 2 and 3.

Support Organizations

Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS)

INCS can help guide you through the process of starting a charter school. Browse the resources available on this website, and please contact us to let us know more about yourself and your school idea. Our newly released guidebook, Paving a New Path: A Guidebook for Illinois Charter Public School Developers, provides charter school developers with practical advice for the essential phases of planning and submitting a successful application for a high-quality charter public school.

Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)

ISBE maintains a charter school webpage that includes a complete version of the Illinois charter school law, the current charter school rules and annual reports on Illinois charter schools.  ISBE also provides grants for charter start-up activities (see “Start-Up Funding” above).  Visit the website or contact 217-782-2948 for more information.

Illinois Facilities Fund (IFF)
IFF offers loans, workshops and technical assistance. Loans: IFF makes below-market loans to nonprofit corporations for maintenance and improvements, equipment, facility acquisition or renovation, new construction and, in some cases, for working capital needs and pre-development expenses. Workshops: Regular workshops are offered throughout the state, which help nonprofits assess their readiness and financing possibilities for real estate development. Technical Assistance: IFF professionals can provide technical assistance with specific projects or problems you’re facing. Options include both limited free technical assistance, as well as full-scale contracted assistance.

Community Economic Development Law Project (CEDLP)
CEDLP provides a full scope of pro bono transactional representation and strategic legal advice to community organizations. CEDLP volunteers have worked with many nonprofit groups to obtain tax exempt status, review contract arrangements, and prepare loan documents in a variety of real estate matters.

Nonprofit Financial Center (NFC)
NFC serves the community through a variety of financial management resources for nonprofits. The Center provides accounting and advisory services, financial management training opportunities, informational resources, and cash-flow financing for Illinois-based 501(c)(3) public charities.

On the Journey to Open a New School: One Step at a Time
A detailed outline of the steps required to start a new charter school, including an impressive collection of sample documents and resources for laying your school’s organizational groundwork. Published by Travis Consulting, LLC.

US Charter Schools
Formerly operated by the US Department of Education, the uscharterschools.org site is a national clearinghouse of resources for school development and improvement maintained by the Charter School Leadership Council.

Building Excellent Schools
The Building Excellent Schools Fellowship is a 12-month, full time, comprehensive training program that prepares individuals, organizations, and communities nationally to create academically excellent urban charter schools. All of the schools they support are located in underserved urban settings. They work with people who have clear ideas about demanding and supporting strong academic performance in public schooling, even if schooling is not their specific professional background.