School Facilities Incentive Grant

In 2025, the U.S. Department of Education awarded Ohio the competitive Expanding Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools State Charter School Facilities Incentive Grant (CFIG). This grant is designed to provide supplemental funds to community schools for facilities projects. With the per-pupil facilities funding provided by Ohio’s current biennium budget through state foundations funding, this combination of state and federal funds shows a true commitment to investing in Ohio’s community schools and providing more choices for Ohio’s students and their families.

Grant Information

Grant Purpose

The Charter School Facilities Incentive Grant (CFIG) provides federal funds to help states supplement the costs associated with community school facilities funding. Under this grant, the maximum federal share of facilities funds decreases each year (from 90 percent in the first year to 20 percent in year five) and phases out entirely after five years. Eligible grantees will receive supplemental per-pupil federal funding to assist with facility costs and projects.
 
Aligning to the Department’s strategic priorities, the Department will use the CFIG funds to
  1. Increase the number of seats available in high-performing community schools in Ohio’s areas of greatest need,
  2. Incentivize community schools to provide career and technical education (CTE) programs, and
  3. Ensure adequate facility support for high-quality community schools in the state.

Allowable Activities
Allowable activities for CFIG funds include:
  • Rent
  • Purchase of a building or land
  • Construction of a new school facility
  • Renovation of an existing school facility
  • Leasehold improvements
  • Debt service on a school facility

Eligibility

Community schools that are eligible to apply for CFIG funds must:
  1. Be either site-based or blended learning community schools
  2. Have the most recent report card showing ratings of meeting achievement and value-added progress criteria including: (a) A Value-Added Progress rating of four or five stars and either (i) a Performance Index rating of three, four, or five stars, or (ii) an increase in Performance Index rating of five points or more over the three most recent school years; OR (b) A Value-Added Progress rating of three, four, or five stars and a Performance Index rating of four or five stars, OR (c) If the school did not receive a Value-Added Progress rating, the school received a Four-Year Graduation Rate rating of four or five stars, and (i) a Performance Index rating of three, four, or five stars, or (ii) an increase in Performance Index rating of five points or more over the three most recent school years; OR (d) If the school received neither a Value-Added Progress rating nor a Four-Year Graduation Rate rating, an Early Literacy rating of four or five stars.
  3. If the school has the Dropout Prevention and Recovery (DOPR) designation, the school must have received an overall rating of Exceeds Standards and a rating of Exceeds Standards for the Assessment Passage Rate on its most recent Dropout Prevention and Recovery Community School Report Card.
  4. Have an immediate need for the facility
Internet based community schools (known as e-schools) are not eligible to apply. Additionally, community schools with no accountability history are not eligible to apply.
 

grant application and submission

Additional resources

 
 

Last Modified: 2/6/2026 2:54:54 PM