As the local school district in Chicago, CPS serves as the charter authorizer for the city. Illinois Charter School Law requires review of all charter school proposals submitted to Illinois school districts. CPS releases an annual request for proposals designed to review new school applications, provides recommendations to the Chicago Board of Education on new school proposals, and provides oversight to authorized charter schools. CPS uses this RFP as its mechanism to accept proposals and meet the Illinois statutory requirement. The Office of Innovation and Incubation (I&I) is the office within CPS that oversees charter school authorization and oversight for the district.
CPS is one of the nation’s largest school districts and a national leading charter authorizer, implementing all essential practices established by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers critical to fostering high-performing charter schools. Currently, I&I oversees a portfolio of 96 charter and contract schools, serving over 53,000 students citywide.
The 2024 Request for Proposals
This RFP seeks proposals from development teams and existing operators who wish to open a charter school.
The application is available for download. A key timeline of the RFP process is available below.
Please contact 773-553-1530 or trobles@cps.edu with any additional questions.
Prospective applicants are required to request office hours via the appointment calendar.
Request For Proposal Process Timeline 2024
Each stage of the proposal submission and evaluation process is included in the timeline below. Please note that dates are subject to change.
Activity | Date | Information |
---|---|---|
RFP Released | December 18, 2023 | The RFP is available for download. |
Required Office Hours with Applicants | February-March 2024 | To kick off the application process, prospective applicants are required to schedule a one-on-one appointment with the Office of Innovation & Incubation to discuss their proposal and the RFP process as well as request an Epicenter account. |
Tier I Application Due | March 8, 2024 | Due by 5 p.m. to Epicenter |
Applicant Meeting 2 | Late March 2024 | I&I staff will meet individually with applicants to discuss their proposal and the RFP process. |
Tier II Application Due | May 17, 2024 | Due by 5 p.m. to Epicenter |
Tier III Application Due | July 26, 2024 | Due by 5 p.m. to Epicenter |
Tier IV Application Due | October 4, 2024 | Due by 5 p.m. to Epicenter |
Applicant Capacity Interviews | October 2024 | |
Public Hearing | November 2024 | |
CPS Board Meeting | December 2024 |