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New School Development

MAPSA helps applicant groups build a strong foundation for opening a quality charter school through coaching, technical assistance, networking and more. Quality development of a quality school is critical to your success. Below is an overview of the steps to starting a charter school.

Steps to Start a Charter School

Form Your Vision

In order to form your vision, you must first identify the unmet needs of your community and gain support from community members.  After identifying the needs, you can then draft your mission and vision statement along with the educational goals of your desired program.

How MAPSA can help:

Develop Your Team

Your team can include your nonprofit board volunteers and vendors.  Build the capacity of your team by including individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

How MAPSA can help:

  • Utilize MAPSA's Marketplace for locating additional support services

Grow Your Expertise

Build your knowledge through training and research.  When gathering your research consider the community needs, student population, and educational programming.

How MAPSA can help:

Create a Strategic Plan

Crucial to the development of your school is a concise and concrete plan including any management plans for startup funding you ay receive.

How MAPSA can help:

  • Utilize MAPSA's Marketplace for locating additional support services

Apply for Funding

Private and federal startup funding is available to eligible nonprofits to start a charter school.

How MAPSA can help:

  • Utilize MAPSA's website to review submission dates for multiple funding sources

Build Capacity

After being awarded private or federal startup funds, continue to build the capacity of your team through technical assistance to prepare for authorization.

Apply to an Authorizer

First you must submit your Phase I application to the authorizer of your choice.  If your application meets their requirements you will be invited back for a Phase II interview.

Prepare to Open

After obtaining the charter from your authorizer, you will finish last-minute details before opening the doors to your school, including recruiting your staff and students and transitioning your nonprofit board into your public school academy (PSA) board.

How MAPSA can help:

Open Your School

You are now able to start offering achievement, choice and accountability to families in your community.

How MAPSA can help:
 

 Don't Forget... 


You can find resources under both Founder Resources and Download Resources.


New School Development Tools
Founders Source