Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs: FY2009

The priority of this program is to provide support to charter school founding groups in developing their charter prospectuses, with specific emphasis on the educational program, academic goals, and business plans.

Please note that charters granted for schools that meet the priorities described for Charter School Start-Up Assistance Program (Fund Code 535) (which can be found at http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/Grants/grants08/rfp/535.html) may be eligible for significantly more funding in the future.

There are three eligibility requirements for this grant program.

1. Sponsor Agency: A sponsor agency must apply on behalf of a charter school founding group. Eligible sponsor agencies include 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organizations or governmental entities, including currently operating charter schools that have had their charter renewed or public school districts (for prospective Horace Mann Charter Schools). The sponsor agency must have at least $25,000 of annual operating revenue. An entity may sponsor no more than two founding groups.

2. Statutory Provisions: The charter school's proposed region must be (a) at or below the state MCAS average and (b) have space available under the current statutory caps. Information related to both of these criteria can be found in Appendix B of the 2008-2009 Application for a Massachusetts Public School Charter (http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/new/?section=app).

3. Policy Priorities: The proposed charter school must meet at least two (2) of three (3) priorities of the Charter School Start-Up Assistance Program: (a) Expanded Learning Time; (b) Targeted Area; and (c) Secondary School Focus. See the Priorities section in the RFP for the Charter School Start-Up Assistance Program (Fund Code: 535) for full details.

Note: An application for grant funding under this program is considered the optional first step in the application process for a Massachusetts Public School Charter for the 2009 - 2010 application cycle.

Each entity that sponsors a prospective charter applicant for the 2009-2010 application cycle is eligible for up to $20,000 per founding group. An entity may sponsor no more than two (2) founding groups. A founding group may apply only once for this grant program. The number of grants to be awarded is dependent on funds available.

There will be two rounds of funding during FY2009 contingent on availability of funding. (See Dates Due below.) Priority will be given to applicants that submit during Round 1; grants will be awarded in Round 2 if funds are available.

Applicant entities must use grant funds solely for the development of the charter school proposal within the 5-month grant period. Grant funds are not to be used primarily to compensate founding group members for their time in developing the charter school proposal. Rather, grant funds are intended to help founding groups conduct research and to secure the necessary professional expertise that they may not have within their founding group in order to develop a strong charter school proposal.

Examples of Acceptable Expenditures

1. Stipends/Part-Time Salary Costs (Budget Lines 1, 2, or 5)

   1. A small stipend (no more than $2,000) for a member of the founding group to serve as grant coordinator and lead writer for the prospectus

   2. No more than $1,000 for stipend/consultant costs for bookkeeping and grant administration/oversight costs

   3. Part-time salary costs/contractual costs for someone to perform specific research related to pedagogical/organizational aspects of the proposed charter school

   4. In the case of a Horace Mann conversion proposal, stipends for teachers and/or other staff to participate in planning activities

2. Consultants Costs (Budget Line 5)

   1. Special education program plans

   2. Curricular/assessment plans

   3. A business plan

   4. Organizational/governance structure/processes

   5. Writing/editing services

3. Travel costs to visit other schools or to attend conferences/trainings in Massachusetts that are related specifically to the proposed school's mission or pedagogical approach (Budget Line 7)

4. Consumable office supplies/printing/postage related directly to the development of the proposed charter school (Budget Line 8)

Examples of Unacceptable Expenditures

1. Out-of-state travel expenses, unless compelling justification is provided that there are no comparable in-state schools/organizations that can be visited

2. Purchase of technology, computer software or hardware, or any items that would have re-sale value after the grant period

3. Professional development or individual memberships for individual members of the founding group

4. Any costs that assume that a charter has already been granted and relate to the actual start-up of the charter school (e.g., advertising, recruiting, graphic design of a logo, website development, purchase of desks and chairs, etc.) rather than the development of the charter school proposal

Grant funds may not supplant the operating budget of the sponsoring entity and may not be used to purchase non-consumable goods/equipment (such as computers, furniture, or other equipment). All spending must be consistent with applicable federal regulations and guidelines.

• Round 1 Full Proposals: 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 31, 2008

• Round 2 Full Proposals: 5:00 p.m. Friday, January 30, 2009

March 1, 2009 - July 31, 2009

Note: There is a 3-year limitation on federal funding to charter schools for development, planning, and implementation. This five-month grant will count towards this 3-year limit if the founding group receives a charter.

1.      Part I - General - Program Unit Signature Page - (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants)

2.      Part II Budget Detail Pages (Include both pages.) - Instructions

3.     Part III - Required Program Information

4.     Sponsor Agency Assurances Form

5.     Statement of Commitment and Summary of Qualifications (one for each founding group Member)

6. Copy of the Sponsor Agency's Most Recent Finance Report

1.     Sponsor Agency Frequently Asked Questions

1. Hard Copy Submission

   Submit three (3) hard copies of the entire proposal package except for the sponsor agency's finance report. If available, submit the finance report electronically; if an electronic copy of the finance report is not available, submit only one hard copy. Be sure that there is an original signature of the Director/Superintendent/CEO of the sponsor agency entity on the Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants for each set.

   Mail to:

   Cliff Chuang
   Charter School Office
   Massachusetts Department of
   Elementary and Secondary Education
   75 Pleasant Street
   Malden, MA 02148-4906

2. Electronic Copy Submission

   Please submit via email, one (1) set of electronic copies of the following portions of the proposal package using the indicated file names:

   Document	Electronic File Name
   Part II - Budget Detail Pages	Part2
   Part III - Required Program Information	Part3
   Statement of Commitment and Summary of Qualifications for each Founding Group Member (no signature required)	Lastname (where "Lastname" = the last name for each individual founding group member)
   Sponsor Agency Finance Report	Finance

Email to: cchuang@doe.mass.edu