PHOENIX — Arizona has been awarded a $34.8 million federal grant to boost educational opportunities for disadvantaged students through the state’s robust charter school system.
The funding, announced Wednesday, will support the creation of 24 new charter schools tailored to serve educationally disadvantaged students and provide subsidies for 23 existing charter schools. Superintendent Tom Horne emphasized the initiative’s goal of closing achievement gaps and increasing graduation rates.
“The purpose is to increase the number of high-quality charter schools focusing on educationally disadvantaged students, to improve teaching and learning, and to enhance leadership and teacher capacity through technical assistance,” Horne said.
Who Qualifies as Educationally Disadvantaged?
Educationally disadvantaged students include those who:
- Are racially or ethnically diverse.
- Come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Have disabilities.
- Are English language learners.
Funding Breakdown
The grant, from the U.S. Department of Education’s Expanding Opportunities Through Quality Charter Schools Program, will be distributed over five years:
- $8.7 million annually in Years 1 and 2.
- $9.7 million in Year 3.
- $5 million in Year 4.
- $2.6 million in Year 5.
This funding aims to enhance teaching quality, improve student performance, and boost graduation rates in Arizona’s public charter schools.
Arizona’s Charter School Legacy
Arizona’s charter school system, established in 1994, provides free public education as an alternative to traditional K-12 schools. This program is separate from the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs), which fund private school and homeschooling expenses for families who opt out of public education.
“We have someone dedicated to researching and securing these federal grants, and her efforts have been instrumental in obtaining this funding,” Horne said.
Arizona was one of only six states to receive this year’s federal charter school grant, underscoring its commitment to educational innovation and equity. This investment promises to elevate opportunities for disadvantaged students across the state.
