"More Great Seats 4 Kids": A SUNY Charter Schools Institute Podcast · SUNY Charter Schools Institute

2026 SUNY RFP for New Charter Schools: Updates & Insights with Keegan Prue

December 9, 2025·21 min·1 clip

SUNY's first-time approval rate for charter school applications is less than 20%, revealing the intense scrutiny behind the scenes.

The conversation starts with the new RFP. The host then sets up the season around policies and practices that help charter schools create more great seats for kids. Keegan keeps the advice plain and useful. Applicant groups need to show community demand with evidence, not assume it because people support school choice. SUNY points applicants to census information, demographic trends, and NYSED tools when they explain why a school is needed. That is the base layer. The stronger case comes from families with children in the proposed grade bands who show interest in applying to that specific school. Keegan's example is blunt on purpose: if a kindergarten and first grade school proposes 150 students, at least 150 relevant family signatures would make the demand case easier to believe. The details matter here. Interest should connect to the school name, model, mission, community, and the real chance of meeting enrollment. General encouragement can help around the edges, but letters from community members and leaders do not replace direct family and caregiver commitment. The host keeps pushing for usable answers, and Keegan gives applicants the kind they need: what counts as evidence, how much detail helps, and why enrollment assumptions have to hold up. SUNY also welcomes early conversations with groups still shaping innovative ideas. The close points potential applicants to the 2026 RFP and the applicant resources page on newyorkcharters.org.

As heard by us

A practical guide to the evidence SUNY expects from new charter school applicants.

The season four premiere of More Great Seats for Kids lays out SUNY's 2026 RFP as a straightforward guide for applicant groups. Its strength is in the specifics: database-backed analysis of need, clear signs of family demand, and the kinds of support that carry weight, including…

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Why you'd press play

You want a clear read on how SUNY weighs community demand in a new charter application.

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