Trump Administration Raises Charter School Funding to $500 Million

The funding hike comes as a recently introduced bipartisan bill seeks to streamline the application process to open charter schools.

A school teacher at the Harlem Link Charter School shows her students how to read on Oct. 24, 2012. Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times

The Department of Education will raise funding for charter schools by $60 million for the current fiscal year 2025, taking the program’s total budget to $500 million this year, the agency said in a May 16 statement.

Charter schools are publicly funded institutions governed by groups under contract with a state, district, or another entity. The contract, called a charter, exempts the schools from certain local and state regulations, allowing them to set up their own rules and curriculum, different from the established state system. In exchange for autonomy, they’re required to meet certain standards as mentioned in the charter.

The Charter Schools Program (CSP) provides funds to start new charter schools, replicate high-quality charter schools, and disseminate information regarding effective practices within these institutions.

In addition to the $60 million funding boost, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced a new grant opportunity through CSP on Friday—the Model Development and Dissemination Grant Program.

The program “aims to showcase and share strategies that are helping innovative charter schools across the country succeed,” the Department of Education said.

The department also released notices inviting applications for five new competitions under CSP this year.

The announcements come as the week starting May 12 was celebrated as the National Charter Schools Week 2025.

“In celebrating the pivotal role that charter schools play to deliver high-quality options for students and families, I’m excited to share that the Trump Administration is making historic investments in the Charter Schools Program,” McMahon said. “With more dollars going toward education choice and a new grant opportunity to help highlight best practices, we hope to pave the way for more choices, better outcomes, and life-changing opportunities for students and families.”

The boost in funding follows President Donald Trump signing a presidential action on Jan. 29 that called for “expanding educational freedom and opportunity for families.”

“Parents want and deserve the best education for their children. But too many children do not thrive in their assigned, government-run K-12 school,” it said, while calling on the secretary of Education to include “education freedom” as a priority for grants.

A November 2023 report revealed that students at charter schools had better test scores when measured against public school counterparts.

According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, there were 3.7 million students at charter schools in fall 2021, up from 1.8 million in fall 2020.

Investing in Charter Schools

On Jan. 31, the Department of Education announced it was withdrawing two “burdensome and misaligned” notices for two charter school grant programs. The notices, published during the last days of the Biden administration, had imposed “excessive regulatory burdens and promoted discriminatory practices,” it stated.

At the time, the department also said it was “fast-tracking” the release of $33 million in CSP grants that were stalled under the previous administration.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers recently introduced the “Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act” to support charter school development, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions said in a May 16 statement.

The Act authorizes the use of existing federal funds to enable states to streamline the application process for opening new charter schools.

The legislation clarified that technical assistance activities provided by the state to applicants can include help with locating and accessing a facility.

Multiple entities are backing the bill, including the National Association of Charter School Authorizers and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

“Every student deserves the opportunity to attend a school that equips them with the skills and high-quality education they need to succeed in today’s economy,” said Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), one of the lawmakers who introduced the bill.

“Charter schools provide flexibility and innovative educational opportunities for students across Colorado, but too often, they run into burdensome red tape and regulations from the federal government. This bill would ensure that charter schools can access federal grants and reach more families in underserved communities,” he said.