Why It Matters
The D.C. Public Charter School Board (PCSB) denied both applications for new charters it received over the past five years, according to District of Columbia Charter Schools: Key Changes Made to Academic Accountability System, a report the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published Nov. 5, 2026. The denials came as almost one-half of District public-school students were enrolled in 133 charter schools during school year 2025-26.
The Big Picture
The District of Columbia School Reform Act of 1995, as amended, requires PCSB, the District's sole chartering authority, to review and approve charter applications, monitor schools and submit annual reports on its work.
The District of Columbia Appropriations Act of 2005, as amended, included a provision for GAO to review the District's chartering authorities every five years. This report covers the five years since GAO's last review, which covered 2016-2021.
In the 2016-2021 period, PCSB received 30 applications and approved 11. PCSB officials attributed the reduced number of applications in the latest period to the more rigorous application process, the report states.
Under the revised process, charters must "fill a demonstrated need," and prospective schools must complete a preapplication process. PCSB also moved the application timeline to fall from spring.
In 2024, PCSB introduced the Annual School Performance Index Report and Evaluation (ASPIRE) system. The report says ASPIRE "emphasizes school performance" and that PCSB uses it to determine which schools need additional monitoring or support. ASPIRE calculates performance measures for student groups, such as students with disabilities or multilingual learners, rather than for all students combined.
The Bottom Line
PCSB received no applications for the 2026 application cycle. The five-year review provision sets the next GAO review of the chartering authorities about five years after this report.
A linked invitation to track related legislative activity on Legis1
Access the Legis1 platform for comprehensive political news, data, and insights.
Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article
