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Tuition Cost for Public Charter Schools and Public Online Programs
Public Charter Schools Tuition Cost
Overview
Per state ECEA Rules, a public charter school may charge tuition to the responsible LEA for the additional cost of providing special education services to students with disabilities. Tuition costs is the amount of expenditures for special education services over and above applicable revenues for a child with a disability who receives special education services in a public charter school. Tuition may be owed to the public charter school for a child identified with an eligible disability: Intellectual Disability; Serious Emotional Disability; Hearing Impairment, including Deafness or Hearing Disability; Visual Impairment, including Blindness or Visual Disability; Deaf-Blindness; Multiple Disabilities; Autism Spectrum Disorders; or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Of the programs that serve students with eligible disabilities, the specific special education program provided to these students must exceed the duration and intensity of the regular special education program at the public charter school.
ECEA Rules require the Colorado Department of Education to have a process in place to calculate a tuition cost rate for public charter schools. The application for Documentation of a Tuition Cost Rate for Public Charter Schools is a formatted Excel file containing workbooks for the following purposes: Program Identification; SPED and Gen Ed staff FTE, salary, and benefits; SPED and Gen Ed program costs; applicable program revenues, tuition cost rate calculation; and job code identification. Staff licensing status is verified to ensure that all staff reported in the application are appropriately licensed and endorsed for the student disabilities served in the public charter school program per State and Federal reporting requirements.
The Department is responsible for the annual submission of tuition cost rates for public charter schools to the State Board of Education for approval.
Application for a Tuition Cost Rate for Public Charter Schools
- Coming July 2026.
Guidance and Checklist for Completion and Submission of Application
- Coming July 2026.
Application Window
- Tuition Cost application open date: Monday, July, 13, 2026.
- Tuition Cost application due date: Friday, September 4, 2026.
Submission to the ESSU Data Management System (DMS)
The Application for a Tuition Cost Rate for Public Charter Schools contains information that must be protected. Submission of the application is through the Exceptional Student Services Unit (ESSU) Data Management System (DMS), a secure site for submission of sensitive information. Specific guidelines are outlined in the checklist. Email the CDE Tuition Cost Administrator, Lisa Schmit, at schmit_l@cde.state.co.us once the entire application is uploaded to the DMS in Documents, Fiscal Tab. The DMS does not have a notification feature. Failure to notify the CDE Tuition Cost Administrator may result in possible processing delays. NOTE: The formatted Excel application is required for CDE processing. Applications submitted in PDF will not be accepted as this format is “read only” and cannot be used in the CDE application review process.
Tuition Cost Rates
- 2025-26 Public Charter School Tuition Cost Rates (PDF)
- 2024-25 Public Charter Schools Tuition Cost Rates (PDF)
- 2023-24 Public Charter Schools Tuition Cost Rates (PDF)
Public Online Programs Tuition Cost
Application for a Tuition Cost Rate for Public Online Programs
- Coming July 2026.
Guidance and Checklist for Completion and Submission of Application
- Coming July 2026.
Application Window
- Tuition Cost application open date: Monday, July, 13, 2026.
- Tuition Cost application due date: Friday, September 4, 2026.
Submission to the ESSU Data Management System (DMS)
The Application for a Tuition Cost Rate for Public Online Programs contains information that must be protected. Submission of the application is through the Exceptional Student Services Unit (ESSU) Data Management System (DMS), a secure site for submission of sensitive information. Specific guidelines are outlined in the guidance and checklist for completion and submission of application. Email the CDE Tuition Cost Administrator, Lisa Schmit, at schmit_l@cde.state.co.us once the entire application is uploaded to the DMS in Documents, Fiscal Tab. The DMS does not have a notification feature. Failure to notify the CDE Tuition Cost Administrator may result in possible processing delays. NOTE: The formatted Excel application is required for CDE processing. Applications submitted in PDF will not be accepted as this format is “read only” and cannot be used in the CDE application review process.
Contact the CDE Tuition Cost Administrator
Email Lisa Schmit, at Schmit_l@cde.state.co.us.