FOCUS D.C. Public Charter School Bulletin

February 14, 2003

Congress Passes $17 Million Dollar Facilities Package for D.C. Charter Schools; FY '03 Facilities Allowance to Rise

The House and Senate yesterday finally approved the Fiscal Year 2003 appropriations bill, which contains $17,000,000 for DC's public charter schools. Four million of this amount will be used to raise the 2002-2003 per pupil facilities allowance to at least $1500 per student from its current level of $1237. The charter school provisions were championed by Senator Mary Landrieu at the urging of FOCUS.

Of the remaining $13,000,000, $8,000,000 will be used to increase the charter school credit enhancement fund and $5,000,000 will be
used to establish a direct loan program to help charter schools acquire facilities.

Friends of Choice in Urban Schools
1530 16th Street, NW #001
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 387-0405 phone
(202) 667-3798 fax