Thank you for your interest in applying for a new charter in Philadelphia. All brick-and-mortar charter schools in Philadelphia are authorized by the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia. Each academic year represents a new cycle for new charter applications. Per the Charter School Law, the new charter application cycle has a fixed application date of November 15 of the year prior to the year in which a charter applicant seeks to open the new charter school.

The 2018-19 application cycle for new charter schools in Philadelphia is underway. Please use the links below to access the new charter application materials for the 2018-19 cycle:

For charter schools seeking to open in the 2019–20 school year, the deadline for submitting all applications and supporting materials to the Charter Schools Office (CSO) is November 15, 2018. 

Information Sessions

The CSO will host three identical informational meetings regarding the New Charter Application process (see below). Interested parties can participate by attending in-person at 440 N. Broad Street or via webinar. Please complete this form to receive detailed instructions on accessing the information sessions. If you have any questions regarding the information sessions, please email charterapplications@philasd.org or call 215-400-6068.

Timeline/Process

• The CSO will hold informational meetings in September and October.
• Letters of Intent are due by October 15, 2018.
• Completed applications and supporting materials are due to the CSO by November 15, 2018.
• Within 45 days of the application deadline, the Board of Education will hold a public hearing to review all charter applications.
• Within 75 days of the first public hearing, the Board of Education will determine whether to grant or deny each new charter.

Application Requirements

The CSO updates new charter application materials each academic year. Applicant teams seeking to open a new charter school in Philadelphia are encouraged to review both the Charter School Law and prior year’s application guidance and evaluation reports for submitted new charter applications prior to submitting a new charter application. Please note: The CSO does not review or provide feedback on draft applications. Once an application is submitted by the due date, it is considered final and will be reviewed as submitted.

2018-19 Applicants

To be updated as applications are received.