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    Charter School Applications

    Who can apply for a Charter?
    A charter school may be established by an individual; one or more teachers who will teach at the proposed charter school; parents or guardians of students who will enroll in the charter school; a nonsectarian college, university or museum located in the Commonwealth; a nonsectarian, nonprofit corporation; a corporation, association or partnership; or any combination of the above.

    How should an applicant apply for a Charter?
    Because local school boards and PDE are independently granted authority to review and act upon charter school applications, applicants should carefully review the definitions of a charter school and cyber charter school in the Charter School Law and the proposed model to determine the appropriate charter authority for submission of a charter school application.

    The following information includes a sample charter school application and an explanation of the charter school application process. Applicants should determine whether the local school board to which the application is being submitted has a different application to use.

    Charter Application Process

    An application to establish a charter school shall be submitted to the local school board of the district where the charter school will be located. The local school board shall hold at least one public hearing on the provisions of the charter school application. The local school board shall grant or deny the charter school application. A charter school applicant has the option to revise and resubmit a denied charter school application to the local school board or appeal the decision of the local school board to the Charter School Appeal Board.

    The following table contains the charter school application timeline as contained in the Charter School Law. Applicants should consult with the local school board to which an application is being submitted for any other time requirements associated with the charter school application process.

    ​Date​Activity
    ​November 15​Applications are due.
    ​Within 45 days of receipt of application​Public hearings are held.
    ​No later than 75 days after the first public hearing on the application​Applications are granted or denied.

    The Charter School Law provides specific timelines and procedures for the charter school application process. Applicants should consult with legal counsel for assistance with this process.

    Cyber Charter School Applications

    The following information includes PDE’s Cyber Charter School Application that should be used by all applicants applying for a cyber charter and an explanation of the cyber charter application process.

    • Cyber Charter School Application (PDF)
      Submission Proc​ess: The submission process for cyber charter school applications has changed.  Effective immediately, applications due October 1, 2024, will be accepted via SharePoint.  Please contact the Division of Charter Schools, ra-charterschools@pa.gov, if you intend to submit an application in 2024.

    Cyber Charter Application Process

    An application to establish a cyber charter school shall be submitted to PDE. PDE shall hold at least one public hearing on the provisions of the cyber charter school application. PDE shall grant or deny the cyber charter school application. A cyber charter school applicant has the option to revise and resubmit a denied cyber charter school application to PDE or appeal the decision to the Charter School Appeal Board. PDE will grant or deny the revised cyber charter school application.

    The following table contains the cyber charter school application timeline as contained within the Charter School Law and PDE guidance.

    ​Date​Activity
    ​October 1​Applications are due.
    ​end of November to beginning of December​Public hearings are held.
    ​Within 120 days of receipt of an application​Applications are granted or denied.
    ​120 days prior to the applicant's proposed start date​Revised applications are due.
    ​Within 60 days of receipt of a revised application​Revised applications are granted or denied.

    The Charter School Law provides specific timelines and procedures for the cyber charter school application process. Applicants should consult with legal counsel for assistance with this process.

    Revision and Resubmission of Denied Cyber Charter School Applications

    Pursuant to the Charter School Law, PDE has the responsibility to review cyber charter school applications and decide whether to grant or deny a charter to the applicants. The Charter School Law provides that if PDE denies a cyber charter school application, the applicant may appeal the denial to the Charter School Appeal Board (CAB) or revise and resubmit the denied application to PDE. PDE must grant or deny the revised application within 60 days after its receipt.

    The first cyber charter school applications were submitted to PDE by October 1, 2002. All 5 applications were denied and a number of the applicants revised and resubmitted their denied applications. PDE initially permitted applicants to revise and resubmit their denied applications more than once. However, after a more thorough analysis, PDE interpreted the Charter School Law as allowing an applicant to revise and resubmit its application to PDE one time. In the event the revised and resubmitted application is denied and the applicant still wants to pursue a charter, the applicant must appeal PDE’s decision to CAB.

    Where can I find more information about Charter School applications?
    The charter school or school district where the charter school is located or plans to locate will have documents pertaining to the administration of charter school applications. The following documents pertain to PDE’s administration of cyber charter school applications.

    2024