The Alabama Department of Education recently approved Tuscaloosa City Schools to be a charter school authorizer. The school system announced that it received its first request for charter school proposals on Tuesday. The district is the only charter school authorizer in the region.
TCS is asking those interested to submit a formal written notice of intent to apply by November 8, with the deadline for completed hard copy applications set for late November. The city school system says both digital and hard copies of applications will be accepted through the RFP process.
Important dates for the application process are listed below:
- Nov. 8 – Application portal opens at 8 a.m. local time, with the deadline for submitting a written notice of intent set for 4:30 p.m.
- Nov. 22 – Deadline for mandatory hard copy application submission by 4:30 p.m.
- Dec. 2 – Application portal closes at 4:30 p.m.
- Dec. 10 – A public forum will be held to allow community members to discuss and provide input on the proposed charter schools.
- Jan. 31, 2025 – TCS will announce decisions on charter school applications.
- Feb. 4, 2025 – Pre-opening process for approved charters begins.
- March 7, 2025 – Approval or denials reported to the Alabama State Department of Education.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten
