The U.S. Department of Education is accepting applications for its public Charter Schools Program (PCSP). A notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year 2003 was published in the Federal Register on March 14. The notice and applications can be downloaded from the department's Web site at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OII/portfolio/applications/pcsp2003.doc. The deadline for applications is April 28, 2003.

The PCSP aims to increase the public's understanding of how charter schools work and expand the number of high-quality charter schools nationwide. The program provides financial assistance for planning, program design, initial implementation and the evaluation of charter schools.

State education agencies are eligible to compete for grants if they have charter school legislation in place. If an eligible state does not participate, charter schools from the state may apply directly to the department. States use their funds to make subgrants to eligible applicants. Grantees receive up to three years of assistance, of which the charter school may not use more than 18 months for planning and program design, and not more than two years for the initial implementation of a charter school.

The department expects to award about 40 grants, with average awards estimated to be about $3 million for state education agencies and about $150,000 for other eligible applicants. Approximately $27 million is available for the 2003 program.

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