Charter Schools Program Nonregulatory Guidance

The Charter Schools Program (CSP) of the U.S. Department of Education has updated its nonregulatory guidance. The document clarifies or adds to guidance involving allowable expenses, lottery exemptions, school governing boards’ relationships with for-profit management organizations, factors that determine whether a school is new or an expansion, and the relationship between public charter schools and private schools. The guidance addresses questions the Department has received regarding the CSP authorizing statute (Title V, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act). The CSP’s primary purpose is to expand the number of high-quality charter schools by providing federal financial assistance for charter school planning, program design, and initial implementation, and to evaluate the effects of charter schools, particularly on student academic achievement.