Charter Schools
Construction or Renovation of a Facility
A charter school may construct or renovate a school facility in accordance with School Code Sections 24 P.S. 17-1715-A and 24 P.S. 17-1722-A.
Construction or renovation of a charter school facility is not eligible for Commonwealth reimbursement pursuant to School Code Section 24 P.S. 25-2574.
A charter school may lease property from public or private entities. In the event that a facility is being constructed or renovated so that it can be leased to a charter school, please note that said construction or renovation work may be subject to certain School Code requirements.
Prior to undertaking a project, charter schools are advised to contact the Department of Education's Division of School Facilities, other state agencies such as the Departments of Labor and Industry, Transportation, and Environmental Protection, as well as county and municipal agencies having jurisdiction over school construction, to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Additional information can be obtained via the following link (See 'Charter School Facilities' section):
Basic Education Circular 24 P.S. §17-1701-A, Charter Schools
Lease of a Facility
School Code Section 24 P.S. 25-2574.3 provides Commonwealth reimbursement for leases of buildings or portions of buildings for charter school use, which have been approved by the Secretary of Education on or after July 1, 2001.
The Commonwealth's annual reimbursable amount for leases of buildings or portions of buildings for charter school use is the lesser of (i) the annual rental payable under the provisions of the approved lease agreement, or (ii) the product of the charter school facility's enrollment times a legislated dollar amount based on the type of school. Commonwealth subsidy equals the approved annual reimbursable amount multiplied by the aid ratio for a charter school.
Further guidance on the charter school facility lease reimbursement program is available from the Department's Bureau of Budget and Fiscal Management, Division of School Facilities, which is responsible for administering the program.
Facility Lease Reimbursement
PDE is pleased to announce that the new online application for electronically submitting the PDE-418's and PDE-419's through the Consolidated Financial Reporting System (CFRS) is open. Please note that any paper PDE-418 or PDE-419 applications that are received in the mail will no longer be processed.
Questions regarding this program can be directed to the Department's Bureau of Budget and Fiscal Management, Division of School Facilities, at 717-787-5993 or by email at RA-EDSFReimbursement@pa.gov.