May 7: President Obama Proposes $52 Million Increase for Public Charter Schools
Washington, D.C. – National Alliance for Public Charter Schools President and CEO Nelson Smith made the following statement today concerning the President’s budget proposal for education and public charter schools in FY 2010:
“President Obama has taken a strong first step toward fulfilling his campaign promise to double federal funding for public charter schools. His budget calls for $52 million in new funds for the Charter Schools Program, the State Facilities Incentive Grants, and the Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities Program.
“This increased funding, a 25% increase over Fiscal 2009, will provide new resources to start up high-quality public charter schools and help them deal with the difficulties of accessing capital support at the state level. We appreciate the strong statement the President is making here with a large increase in charter school funding at a time when resources are tight. We understand that President Obama expects great things from high-quality charter schools – and we look forward to surpassing those expectations.“In the Office on Innovation and Improvement, the charter programs received the second largest increase of all programs, a signal of their importance to the President. The Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) received a substantial increase as well, increasing funding from $97 million to $717 million. Of that, $517 million will be competitively granted out to eligible entities, including charter school LEAs. In a time when so many of our schools are seeking to create innovative pay systems to reward excellent teachers, this new investment will help solidify existing programs, seed new ones, and research the effects of performance-based compensation.
“Additionally, we are very pleased that $10 million was added this year for the President’s Promise Neighborhoods Initiative, based on the success of the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) and the public charter schools operating there. Grants will be made to non-profit community-based organizations to develop programs that address the needs of children in poverty, from birth to college. We expect that many charter school operators will be able to replicate the success of HCZ around the country as a result of this funding.”
Contact:
Bill Schulz
(202) 521-2828
Sarah Johnson
(202) 521-2826
pressroom@publiccharters.org
# # #
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (www.publiccharters.org) is the national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement. The Alliance works to increase the number of high performing charter schools available to all families, particularly those low-income and minority families who do not have access to quality public schools. The Alliance provides assistance to state charter school associations and resource centers, develops and advocates for improved public policies, and serves as the united voice for this large and diverse movement. Currently, more than 1.4 million students attend 4,600 public charter schools in 40 states and the District of Columbia. The first charter school opened in Minnesota in 1992. Growth has risen sharply recently, with over 1,000 schools opening in the past three years.
Download:
