The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) collects enrollment data from charter schools that qualify as "new" or "significantly expanding" to plan for entitlement grant allocations for the upcoming fiscal year 2027 (FY2027). This memorandum provides an explanation of the report, instructions for FY2027 submissions, and a list of eligible charter schools. If your school qualifies as a new or significantly expanding charter school, a significant expansion report must be submitted to the Department. All significant expansion enrollment data will be submitted via the Charter School Significant Expansion (Charter School Sig. Expansion) application within the Security Portal by 12:00 p.m. on Monday, June 15, 2026.
New charter schools are schools that have not yet completed implementation of their chartered grade span and maximum enrollment under a charter recently awarded by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board). Federal regulations define a significant expansion as a "substantial increase in the number of students attending a charter school due to a significant event that is unlikely to occur on a regular basis, such as the addition of one or more grades or educational programs in major curriculum areas." Minor increases in enrollment caused by normal turnover are not considered significant expansion.
In Massachusetts, the Department utilizes the following criteria to determine whether a charter school will experience a significant expansion.
The Department recommends that schools take the following steps prior to inputting enrollment data:
Please note that students may be reported in more than one category.
Detailed step-by-step instructions are available within the Charter School Sig. Expansion module, found within the Charter and Virtual School Pre-Enrollment application, located in the Security Portal.
The school leader is required to submit the data, even if someone else enters the enrollment figures into the application. Please carefully check the data you will report before submitting. The Department has populated the security portal application with eligible charter schools. If you believe your school was inadvertently omitted from the list displayed below, please contact Brenton Stewart .
If circumstances have changed and your school will not increase its population by the 10 percent threshold for the 2026-2027 school year when compared to the 2025-2026 school year enrollment, please contact Brenton Stewart and do not complete this report. Over-reporting enrollment figures results in initial lower allocations to other charters and districts as well as a less efficient distribution of Title program funds. Please be assured that you will receive your commensurate share of funds even if you do not significantly expand.
FY2027 Charter Schools Expected to Significantly Expand
Do you have questions or need assistance? Please contact Brenton Stewart in the Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign.
Last Updated: May 20, 2026