On March 30, 2017, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced the results of the external review process for Generation 22 charter applicants. Of the applications submitted for external review, nine of the 26 evaluated (37 percent) met the 85 percent cut score requirement and will proceed to the next step in the approval process, an interview with TEA Charter Division staff and members of the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) Committee on School Initiatives, held during the week of May 8-11. Applicants who successfully navigate the interview process are recommended to the TEA commissioner for a charter contract, pending final SBOE action.

The number of charters moving forward this year is significant in that last year only four of the applications reviewed (15 percent) met the cut score requirement.

The charter applicants moving forward this year are:

• Bridgeway Preparatory Academy – proposing 2 campuses in Dallas and Tarrant counties with an initial PreK4 - 2nd grade enrollment of 286 and a maximum PreK3-5th grade enrollment of 1,560
• Etoile Academy - proposing 2 campuses in Harris County/Southwest Houston with an initial grade 5 enrollment of 150 and a maximum 5th – 8th grade enrollment of 1,500
• LEAD International Academy - proposing 1 campus in Tarrant county with an initial K – 8th grade enrollment of 1,275 and a maximum K -12th grade enrollment of 1,875
• Legacy the School of Sport Sciences - proposing 2 campuses in North Houston and Southwest Houston with an initial 6th – 10th grade enrollment of 550 and a maximum 6th -12th grade enrollment of 2,400
• North Bound Education Public School - proposing 3 campuses in Dallas and Tarrant counties (Fort Worth and South Dallas) with an initial K – 8th grade enrollment of 1,248 and a maximum K – 12th grade enrollment of 2,028
• Oasis Academy of North Texas - proposing 3 campuses in Southwest and Northeast Dallas county and south Tarrant county with an initial K - 2nd grade enrollment of 180 and a maximum K - 5th grade enrollment of 1,080
• South Texas Trade Academy - proposing 3 campuses in Hidalgo, Willacy, and Cameron counties with an initial K-1, 6th, and 9th grade enrollment of 300 and a maximum PreK4 - 12th grade enrollment of 2,000
• Valor Public Schools - proposing 3 campuses in Travis county with an initial K – 9th grade enrollment of 574 and a maximum K-12th grade enrollment of 4,200
• Yellowstone College Prep - proposing 1 campuses in Houston with an initial 5th – 8th grade enrollment of 240 and a maximum 5th – 12th grade enrollment of 1,000

At the Texas Charter Schools Association (TCSA) we are pleased to note that five of the nine finalists participated in TCSA’s Charter Application Development Services. Utilizing our team of charter development experts, applicant development clients receive assistance in various phases of pre-application development, in-person/phone/email consultation, an extensive and detailed written critique of the charter application components including the education plan, assessment and evaluation, community, operations, students, personnel, governance, and the financial plan. Development clients meet with the TCSA review team to discuss the written critique, consider suggestions to improve the application, and evaluate strategies for moving forward to ensure the best possibility that the plan will survive the rigorous external review process. In addition, development clients have access to discounted model policies, codes of conduct, and other TCSA support services as well.

If you are thinking about applying in the next round (Generation 23) of charter applicants this September, now is a great time to consider engaging the TCSA Charter Application Development team as there are a limited number of client spaces available. For more information about application development services as well as our first-step Charter Start trainings, please contact TCSA’s Directors of Charter Growth and Development, Bruce Marchand and Elliott Nguyen, for more information. We want to help you in your successful mission to create more public school choices for the students of Texas!