Edelblut, DeVos praise acceptance of charter school grant

CONCORD – New Hampshire Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut today praised the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee for its vote to accept the first $10.1 million installment of a $46 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to expand public charter school options in the Granite State.

“Charter schools are an important piece of New Hampshire’s public school system, providing options for New Hampshire students who need something other than the traditional classroom to thrive,” Edelblut said. “Today’s vote provides a boost to innovation in our schools, and to put more New Hampshire students on paths to bright futures.”

The $46 million federal grant will support the state’s charter school programing with a focus on at-risk students. The Department of Education was first awarded the grant in August 2019. The grant was repeatedly rejected by the fiscal committee along party lines, although the department consistently brought it forward and responded to on-going requests for information from legislators, including a full fiscal analysis that demonstrates significant financial benefits to New Hampshire taxpayers.

Commenting on the long awaited approval, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos stated, “Many in education should take a close look at how New Hampshire continues to expand opportunities for all its students, especially through public charter schools. We hope leaders here use this grant to build on that success, especially right now as we work to ensure learning continues during the pandemic. Many of New Hampshire’s public charter schools are models of innovation for more school leaders to emulate across the country.”

New Hampshire is currently home to 29 public charter schools, seven of which have achieved the federal definition for high-quality charter school replication. The five-year, $46 million grant, which is accessible to both non-profit organizations and traditional public schools, will support efforts to increase, expand, or replicate the number of high-quality charter schools in New Hampshire, focusing on at-risk, educationally disadvantaged students. The grant will also fund professional development for charter school staff and board members, and disseminate best practices to public schools across New Hampshire.