After reading the more than 300 pages of final Charter Schools Program grant competition criteria and regulations, we thank the Department for listening and taking seriously concerns raised by many in the charter community. While there remain some significant challenges in the final rules that will make it more difficult for charter schooling to effectively respond to the aspirations and needs of local communities as we recover from the pandemic, many of the changes are workable in advancing high-quality schools that advance student learning and wellness.

Specifically, we appreciate the continued prioritization of high-quality authorizing practices; broader criteria allowed for potential charters to establish need and demand; the streamlining of many initially proposed regulations; and encouraging, but not requiring, partnerships across schools.

We remain concerned that the final rules place additional unnecessary and unwarranted burdens on schools proposing to serve large proportions of lower-income students and students of color, and there is no clarity on what constitutes a valid desegregation effort and how applicants will know if any effort exists.