This bill changes parts of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to help states improve access to and affordability of charter school facilities. It creates competitive grants to State entities for up to 5 years to cover up to 60 percent of costs for activities like buying, leasing, renovating, or operating charter school buildings. Applications must describe which charter schools will get help, what help they will get, how charter schools were involved, and how the State will evaluate charter school success. The Secretary must prioritize States with certain policies, such as access to tax-exempt financing, land-use rules that treat charter schools like other public schools, or limits on deed restrictions that block charter school property access.
The bill lets State entities use grant funds to: increase funding or create financing for facility acquisition, leasing, and renovation; support ongoing facility costs; and support alternative ownership models for charter school facilities. State entities may deposit some grant funds in reserve accounts and may reserve up to 5 percent for evaluations, technical assistance, and information sharing. The Federal share of funded activities is capped at 60 percent; non-Federal partners may provide the rest. States may receive multiple grants if each grant increases total funds provided to charter schools.
The bill adds a clause saying funds under this part do not create a Federal interest for specific Federal regulations on recording and reporting. It also changes reporting for entities that received credit enhancement grants to require annual reports for each of the 10 years after a grant. It adds assistance to help charter schools find and access facilities and to help planned or operating charter schools make sure their facilities meet State and local building codes. It allows States to reserve up to 10 percent of certain program funds to create a revolving loan fund for eligible applicants. Some amendments apply only to grants awarded on or after enactment, while the credit-enhancement reporting change applies to past and future grantees.
The bill's stated purpose is to support the creation and expansion of State policies to improve the quality and affordability of charter school facilities and to authorize technical assistance to support growth and expansion of high-quality charter schools.
No publicly available information.