Some of Texas' most in-demand charter schools will open new Austin campuses in coming years with the help of a federal grant aimed at extending the reach of high-performing charter schools.

Harmony Public Schools and KIPP-Austin last week each received a sizable chunk of a $25 million expansion grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

To win the competitive grant, the charter school operators had to have a proven record of improving the academic performance of low-income students.

"This is a validation of our model that we've built carefully over the past 10 years," said Soner Tarim , Harmony's superintendent.

Harmony has 36 campuses across the state, five of which are in the Austin area.

The $5 million grant will allow Harmony to open seven more schools in Texas — including one in Austin — and beef up its science, math and engineering curricula, particularly its robotics program, Tarim said.

Harmony's new Austin school would open in the fall of 2013 at the earliest. Its location has not been determined.

With its $1 million grant, KIPP-Austin plans to open two new middle schools in East Austin next fall to complement its five existing schools, spokeswoman Evelyn Nazro said. The additional schools will expand to locations away from KIPP's sprawling facility on FM 969 .

Austin American Statesman has more here.