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When a school receives its original charter and any subsequent renewals of that charter from the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board), the state approves the charter school's broad academic and organizational plans for the next five years. Any substantive changes to those plans require the approval of the Board for an amendment to the school's charter before the changes are implemented. Charter amendments involving the districts specified in a school's charter, maximum enrollment, or grades served requires approval by the Board before implementation.
Schools are also encouraged to consult with the Department to determine if their proposed expansion is eligible for the Charter School Program (CSP) grant.
For information on how to complete an amendment request, please refer to the Amendment Guidelines below:
Guidelines for Charter Amendments to Districts Served, Grades Served, and Maximum Enrollment
All amendment requests must include a Charter Amendment Request Letter.
Template of Request Letter for a Charter Amendment to the Districts specified in a School's Charter, Maximum Enrollment, or Grades Served
The Charter School Dashboard is a tool that provides unique data displays for charter schools. The Department periodically updates the Dashboard with enhanced features and functionality.
All schools who seek to amend their charter region, grades served, and/or maximum enrollment must submit a request by 12:00 noon on August 13, 2026 to CharterSchoolAmendments@mass.gov .
All Horace Mann charter schools will be permitted to submit evidence of the approvals by the school committee and union up to 6 weeks after the amendment deadline to accommodate school committee meeting schedules. The deadline for evidence is September 24, 2026 by 12:00 p.m. All other requirements for these types of charter amendments must be completed on or before the deadline of August 13 by 12:00 noon.
FY2027 Enrollment Projections by District for New Applications and Expansion AmendmentsThe 2026-2027 projections do not guarantee the number of seats available for award in any district in FY2027. The actual number of seats that may be available for award in any district in any particular year cannot be predicted with certainty and is dependent on several factors, including district enrollment, district spending levels, student enrollment for existing charter schools, and changes in the net school spending caps of individual districts.
Last Updated: April 30, 2026