ARNOLD, Md.—The state of Maryland will receive millions of dollars from a grant to develop high-quality charter schools, thus providing Maryland parents with additional educational options for their children, U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige announced today. On behalf of Secretary Paige, Deputy Secretary Gene Hickok presented a $3.8 million grant check to Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich, Jr. and State Superintendent of Schools Nancy Grasmick during a visit to the Maryland Public Charter School Initiative at the Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Md. The check represents the funds available to Maryland for the first year of the three-year grant.

"Across the nation, charter schools are proving that a focus on results, combined with greater freedom for educators and more choices for parents, leads to better education for students," Hickok said. "I am thrilled that Maryland finally has the opportunity to embrace these innovations and hope to see charter schools blossom throughout the state over the next few years."

This competitive three-year grant is part of the No Child Left Behind Act's Charter Schools Program, which supports states' efforts to plan, design, operate and distribute information about charter schools. Maryland will use the grant to support its efforts to develop high-quality charter schools. Specifically, Maryland will use the funds to distribute information to citizens about the potential of charter schools to enhance Maryland's public education system, with a goal of establishing 30 charter schools by the 2006-07 school year.

"When I signed my charter school initiative into law last year, I fulfilled a pledge to give parents more meaningful choices within Maryland's public school system," said Governor Ehrlich. "The Bush administration's generous grant will give Maryland parents the freedom to move their children into innovative learning environments where they can reach their full potential."

States with charter school laws are eligible to apply for the grants. Ten states will share more than $71.7 million in grants under the program. Other states to receive charter school grants include California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Texas.

Charter schools are independent public schools of choice designed and operated by educators, parents, community leaders and educational entrepreneurs. They are given greater flexibility in return for strict accountability for improving student achievement.

The first U.S. public charter school opened in 1992. Almost 3,000 charter schools serve nearly 750,000 students in 37 states and Washington, D.C.

The No Child Left Behind Act is the bipartisan landmark education reform law designed to change the culture of America's schools by closing the achievement gap among groups of students, offering more flexibility to states, giving parents more options and teaching students based on what works. Under the law's strong accountability provisions, states must describe how they will close the achievement gap and make sure all students, including those with disabilities, achieve academically.

President Bush's Fiscal Year 2005 budget proposes almost $320 million for charter schools, a 24 percent increase over FY 2004.

The Charter Schools Program is part of the Department's Office of Innovation and Improvement, which Secretary Paige created in December 2002 to make strategic investments in and widely distribute information about promising education practices. The office also leads the Department's efforts to provide more information to parents about the options that the No Child Left Behind Act affords them for their children's education.

More information about the Act is available at www.ed.gov.

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