summary
Introduced
In Committee
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
112th Congress
Bill Summary
Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act - Amends part B (Public Charter Schools) of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to revise subpart 1 (Charter School Programs) and subsume subpart 2 (Credit Enhancement Initiatives to Assist Charter School Facility Acquisition, Construction, and Renovation) under subpart 1. (Under subpart 2 the Secretary of Education awards grants to public entities and private nonprofit entities to demonstrate innovative means of enhancing credit to finance the acquisition, construction, or renovation of charter schools.) Replaces the current charter school grant program with a program awarding competitive grants to states, authorized public chartering agencies, and local educational agencies (LEAs) and, through them, subgrants to charter school developers to open new charter schools and expand and replicate high-quality charter schools. Requires such grantees to use 10% of the grant funds to provide technical assistance to subgrantees and authorized public chartering agencies, and work with those agencies to improve the charter school authorization process. Makes authorized public chartering agencies, LEAs, and charter management organizations eligible to receive competitive grants to open new charter schools and expand and replicate high-quality charter schools themselves. Revises the per-pupil facilities aid program (under which the Secretary makes competitive matching grants to states to provide per-pupil financing to charter schools) to allow states to: (1) partner with organizations to provide up to 50% of the state share of funding for the program; and (2) receive more than one program grant, so long as the amount of the grant funds provided to charter schools increases with each successive grant. Directs the Secretary to conduct certain national activities that include awarding competitive grants directly to charter school developers to open, replicate, and expand charter schools in states that have not received, or are nearing the end of, a grant for that purpose. Reauthorizes appropriations under subpart 1 through FY2017.
AI Summary
This bill, the Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act, aims to improve and expand charter school programs by consolidating existing initiatives and introducing new grant opportunities. It merges the Credit Enhancement Initiatives program, which previously helped charter schools secure funding for facilities, into the main Charter School Programs. The bill establishes a new competitive grant system where states, authorized public chartering agencies (organizations that approve and oversee charter schools), and local educational agencies (LEAs, which are local school districts) can receive funds to then award subgrants to developers for opening new charter schools or expanding and replicating high-quality ones. A key requirement is that 10% of these grant funds must be used for technical assistance to help these subgrantees and chartering agencies improve the process of authorizing charter schools. The bill also makes charter management organizations (nonprofit organizations that manage multiple charter schools) eligible for these grants. Furthermore, it revises the per-pupil facilities aid program, allowing states to partner with other organizations for up to half of the state's funding share and to receive multiple grants as long as the funding provided to charter schools increases with each subsequent grant. The Secretary of Education will also directly award grants to charter school developers in states that haven't received or are nearing the end of such grants, and the bill reauthorizes appropriations for charter school programs through fiscal year 2017.
Committee Categories
Health and Social Services
Sponsors (9)
Lamar Alexander (R),
Richard Burr (R),
Thad Cochran (R),
Johnny Isakson (R),
Mark Kirk (R),
John McCain (R),
Pat Roberts (R),
Marco Rubio (R),
Roger Wicker (R),
Last Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (on 09/15/2011)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-bill/1566/all-info |
| BillText | http://gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112s1566is/pdf/BILLS-112s1566is.pdf |
| Bill | http://gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112s1566is/pdf/BILLS-112s1566is.pdf.pdf |
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