Jackson Free Press

RePublic Schools Inc., the charter management organization that opened one of two http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2015/sep/23/tale-two-charters-schools-mississippi/">charter schools in Mississippi, received a $9.6 million U.S. Department of Education grant. RePublic Schools was one of twelve organizations selected for a http://www2.ed.gov/programs/charter-rehqcs/awards.html">Charter School Program Grant this year.

The grant will be issued over a five-year period, and RePublic Schools Inc. was allotted $1.76 million in Year One. The Mississippi Charter Authorizer Board http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/weblogs/jackblog/2015/sep/02/two-more-charter-schools-coming-to-jackson/">approved two more RePublic Schools, Smilow Prep and Smilow Collegiate, earlier this month. The schools will open in Jackson in August 2016.

In a http://www.republiccharterschools.org/blog/2015/9/28/republic-schools-awarded-96-million-federal-grant">press release, CEO Ravi Gupta said, "We are grateful to Secretary Duncan (the U.S. Secretary of Education) and his team for recognizing RePublic's efforts to expand high quality, 21st Century educational opportunities for children in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana."

RePublic Schools has opened schools in Tennessee and Mississippi thus far, but the press release mentions Louisiana as well.