Thank you for your interest in the Charter School Institute! CSI’s mission is to foster high-quality charter school options in Colorado.
CSI is unable to consider charter applicants seeking to locate in districts that retain exclusive chartering authority (ECA) without approval from the school district’s board of education. 97% of districts currently retain exclusive chartering authority.
For more information about eligibility to apply, timelines, and processes, please click on the application cycle of interest below.
Contact Authorization_CSI@csi.state.co.us for more information.
New Applicants
For founding teams seeking to open a new charter school.
Renewal Applicants
For existing CSI schools that are nearing the end of their contract term.
Expansion Applicants
For existing CSI schools that are seeking to expand the scope of their existing program.
Transfer Applicants
For charter schools seeking to transfer to the Charter School Institute.
Conversion Applicants
For existing Colorado public schools seeking to convert to a CSI charter school.
Community Engagement
CSI encourages parent and community engagement throughout the application process.
Learn more about community engagement in the application process.
Authorization Timelines
The CSI Board of Directors annually sets the timeline for each of CSI’s authorization cycles.
The 2023-2024 Authorization Timelines include application timelines by authorization cycle.
Market Analyses
CSI’s market analyses help validate evidence of need.