Byron-Peach Charter awaits word on federal grant, still hopes to open in August

Byron-Peach Charter School could still open this coming fall, although funding concerns have that opening date in question.

The school still awaits word on a federal Implementation Grant, said Roy Lewis, chairman of the school's governing board.

"Right now, we're still in that holding pattern," he said.

He added that the school's leaders have heard multiple dates that the school could hear back about the grant -- most recently that it will be decided in the next two or three weeks. Even though that would push the decision back to mid-April, Lewis said the school could still open in August if that's the case.

Financially, that won't happen if the school doesn't receive the grant, although Lewis said he thinks Byron-Peach has a "pretty good opportunity" to be chosen.

"Without this grant, I just don't know that we can do it," he said of opening for the 2016-17 school year.

Charter school Implementation Grants provide support for the program design and initial implementation of charter schools. Start-up charter school applicants for such grants may be awarded between $400,000 and $650,000 depending on the charter school's student enrollment, according to the State Charter School Commission.

Implementation Grant funding may be used for expenses necessary for the initial costs of planning and design, and implementing the school's program, such as supplies, materials, furniture, computers and other equipment associated with the initial operational costs.

Funding provided through the Implementation Grant is awarded over two years and must be spent over those 24 months.

To contact writer Jeremy Timmerman, call 744-4331 or find him on Twitter@MTJTimm.

This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 10:23 AM with the headline "Byron-Peach Charter awaits word on federal grant, still hopes to open in August ."