Concerned about cost?

Innovative Schools understands the financial constraints of start-up charter school groups. To assist groups during the Application Phase, Innovative Schools will provide all deliverables for a nominal fee. Schools that wish to take advantage of this opportunity agree to participate in the Planning and Start-Up Phases of the New School Development Program. Services from these two phases may be selected as a complete package or individually, based on the Board and School Leader's needs. However, Innovative Schools strongly encourages Founding Boards to take advantage of the full New School Development Program offerings to achieve the best results and realize a cost savings.

Application Phase

Building the Capacity of Founding Boards
to  Prepare High Quality Charter School Applications

Commitment

Innovative Schools recommends that Founding Boards commit approximately 14 months to the Application Phase, starting in February of the year in which they will apply and continuing through April of the following year, when final approval takes place.


Readiness Questionnaire

Starting a Charter School is hard work and requires significant time and dedication. To help Innovative Schools determine your Founding Board’s readiness, the Board will be asked to respond to a questionnaire and engage in an informal interview about the school concept and design.


Relationship

During the Application Phase, Innovative Schools works in collaboration with the Founding Board to ensure that the charter school application is completed on time and outlines a quality academic program that meets all state requirements. The Founding Board is directly responsible for writing the application, ensuring ownership of the unique school design. Innovative Schools provides technical assistance, guidance, resources, and progress monitoring.


Deliverables

Innovative Schools will provide the following services during the Application Phase:

  • Feasibility study
  • Preparation of the 501 (c) (3) application
  • Application Phase Toolkit – includes detailed task sheets and a timeline with important dates and benchmarks 
  • Consultation and technical assistance on topics outlinedin the Application Phase Toolkit, including workshops on curriculum alignment, budget development, and facilities selection
  • Document preparation – including proofreading, editing,formatting, and application printing – for submission to the charter school authorizer
  • Mock interview to prepare for Charter School Accountability meetings
  • Attendance at all Charter School Accountability Committee meetings, public hearings, and State Board of Education meetings; feedback/follow-up on action items identified in these meetings.