This document was created by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to provide guidance for newly opening charter schools. Use this guide to keep track of MDE deadlines, access the reporting calendar, and follow the steps necessary to ensure you are utilizing all the resources and revenue available from the state. This guidance document does not replace an authorizer's ready-to-open standards. MDE's Guide to Opening a New Charter School only addresses areas in which new charter school Local Education Agencies (LEA) interact with MDE. An authorizer's ready-to-open standards, found in your school's charter contract and/or the authorizer's commissioner-approved authorizing plan, are established by the authorizer and may be more comprehensive and encompassing than MDE's guidance.