The U.S. Department of Education awarded more than $3.5 million to 22 grantees across the country to help plan, design and create new charter schools and to increase the school choices that parents have to provide their children, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced today.

"By acting as laboratories for best practices, charter schools are helping to break apart the myth that some children can't learn, changing attitudes about education and getting great results for students," Secretary Spellings said.

Charter schools are growing at an annual rate of 10 percent. The Department's program is the most prevalent source of start-up funding for charter schools, with nearly two-thirds having received Charter School Program (CSP) funds during their start-up phase. The CSP has received more than $1.9 billion from Congress since first being appropriated in 1995, and the department provides some $250 million a year to help sustain and expand charter schools across the nation.

Charter schools are independent public schools designed and operated by parents, educators, community leaders, education entrepreneurs and others with a contract, or charter, from a public agency, such as a local or state education agency or an institution of higher education. Charter schools are operated free-of-charge to parents and are open to all students.

These schools provide parents with enhanced educational choices within the public school system. Exempt from many statutory and regulatory requirements, charter schools receive increased flexibility in exchange for increased accountability for improving academic achievement. The first U.S. public charter school opened in 1992. Today, more than 4,000 charter schools serve more than 1 million students in 40 states and Washington, D.C.

More information about the Charter School Program is available at http://www.ed.gov/programs/charter/index.html.

The following organizations received grants under the Charter Schools Program for 2007:

Kona Pacific Public Charter School
P.O. Box 115
Kealakekua, HI
Project Director: Chris Hecht, (808) 895-3030
Grant amount: $164,105

Hawaii Technology Academy
91-1042 Makaike Street
Ewa Beach, HI
Project Director: Tracy Calderwood, (808) 683-1714
Grant amount: $173,715

Hau'ula Ice Breakers
54-270 Honomu Street
Hau'ula, HI
Project Director: Dovey Silva, (808) 222-3560
Grant amount: $158,500

Arizona Academy of Leadership
265 W. Valencia Road
Tucson, AZ
Project Director: Tonya Strozier, (520) 370-9643
Grant amount: $148,900

Paragon Education Corporation
1424 S. Jentilly Lane, #203
Tempe, AZ
Project Director: Ali Kemal Unver, (480) 375-5025
Grant amount: $149,440

Laveen Preparatory: A Challenge Academy
4447 W. Keating Circle
Glendale, AZ
Project Director: Cuyler Reid, (602) 843-5843
Grant amount: $149,543

Candeo Schools Inc.
7313 W. Alexandria Way
Peoria, AZ
Project Director: Stephanie Musser, (623) 332-7833
Grant amount: $165,126

Vector School District
550 W. Warner Road
Chandler, AZ
Project Director: Ronda Owens, (480) 763-8425
Grant amount: $150,000

Sonoran Science Academy
2255 W. Ina Road
Tucson, AZ
Project Director: Adam Oksuz, (520) 797-9836
Grant amount: $151,078

Math and Science Success Academy
1557 W. Prince Road
Tucson, AZ
Project Director: Tatyana Chayka, (520) 293-2676
Grant amount: $160,000

Wildcat Secondary School
5660 S. 12th Avenue
Tucson, AZ
Project Director: Scott Mundell, (520) 294-5473
Grant amount: $150,000

New Century Montessori Charter School
3101 W. Peoria Avenue, Suite B-310
Phoenix, AZ
Project Director: Patricia Shaw, (612) 740-0801
Grant amount: $184,450

Tempe Preparatory Junior Academy
1251 E. Southern Avenue
Tempe, AZ
Project Director: John Hughes, (480) 839-3402
Grant amount: $150,000

Imagine Elementary at Rosefield
12050 N. Bullard Avenue
Surprise, AZ
Project Director: Bruce Hanna, (623) 344-4300
Grant amount: $150,000

America Can!
325 W. 12th Street
Dallas, TX
Project Director: Yolanda Cruz, (214) 944-1985
Grant amount: $150,014

City Garden Montessori School
1082 S. Newstead
St. Louis, MO
Project Director: Patricia Curtis, (314) 535-6873
Grant amount: $161,080

KIPP Kansas City
6601 Executive Drive
Kansas City, MO
Project Director: Jon Richard, (816) 405-6179
Grant amount: $175,692

School of the Arts of Kansas City Inc.
P.O. Box 414047
Kansas City, MO
Project Director: Stephen Aspleaf, (816) 668-4401
Grant amount: $146,761

Harding Fine Arts Center Inc.
3333 N. Shartel
Oklahoma City, OK
Project Director: Sherry Rowan, (405) 702-4322
Grant amount: $174,785

Alpha Academy
907 Hay Street
Fayetteville, NC
Project Director: Eugene Slocum, (910) 223-7711
Grant amount: $175,000

Surry Village Charter School
11 Village Road
Surry, NH
Project Director: Matora Fiorey, (603) 357-9700
Grant amount: $152,284

Strong Foundations Charter School
715 Riverwood Drive
Pembroke, NH
Project Director: Beth McClure, (603) 568-5700
Grant amount: $225,600s

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