Bill > S1566

Introduced Session

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.

Committee Categories

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), 

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (on 09/15/2011)

Official Document