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Facing key challenges in operating your charter school? Want to hear what other charter leaders are doing to aid in their school operations? Join us to discuss growth strategies for charter schools on Tuesday, October 4th at 9:30 a.m. PST/12:30 p.m. EST.
Our session will focus on the three core areas of growth – start-up, expansion and maturity – and what the key challenges and best practices are at each stage of growth. Learn how to work through operational issues, expanding teachers and staff, upgrading programs and technology, facilities options, and funding for charter schools.

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Featured Speakers:
Kendell Walton, Founder & President of Walton Business Management Solutions
Kendell Walton has a decade of experience helping companies with financial management in both the private and non-profit sectors. Kendell became involved in the charter school movement in 2010, and has worked with charter schools across multiple states, providing financial advice, budgeting supervision, and overseeing operational and facilities acquisition efforts.
Stuart Ellis, President & CEO, Charter School Capital
Stuart is the President and CEO of Charter School Capital, the nation’s leading provider of growth capital and facilities financing to charter schools nationwide. The company has provided in excess of $1.2 billion in support of 500+ charter schools educating more than 550,000 students across the country.

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What you will learn:

Best practices for growth and replication
Funding options specific to your growth stage
Lessons learned from charter school leaders

The California legislature ended for the year and California charter school supporters witnessed mixed reports. The legislature sent two anti-charter school bills to Governor Jerry Brown for his signature or veto. They also killed two anti-charter school bills. The Governor will now have until the end of September to sign or veto the measures.
Bills sent to the Governor:
AB 709 by Assemblyman Mike Gipson would impose the Brown Act, Public Records Act, the Political Reform Act, and Government Code 1090 on California charter schools. The bill is sponsored by the California Teacher’s Association and opposed by nearly everyone in the education reform community. It passed the legislature on a party line vote and is on the Governor’s desk awaiting his signature or veto. The Governor has vetoed similar legislation several times during the last six years.
SB 739 by Senator Fran Pavley would prohibit a school district in negative certification from authorizing a California charter school outside of its boundaries. This bill is the result of a disagreement over the authorization of charter schools between districts in and near the Santa Clarita Valley. Charter school supporters oppose SB 739 because of its precedent-setting language. Like AB 709, it is on the Governor’s desk. He has vetoed similar legislation in the past.
Bills that died in the legislature:
AB 1084 by Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla would have prevented a California charter school from being operated by or as a for-profit corporation. This bill split the charter school community, with many charter school entities joining the California School Employees Association in opposing the bill and the California Charter Schools Association supporting it. The bill’s opponents were able to kill the bill on the Senate floor, arguing that passage could have negative impacts on both students and schools, while pointing to Governor Brown’s veto of a similar bill just last year.
SB 322 by Senator Leno would have imposed suspension and expulsion requirements on charter schools and prevented them from using preferences for enrollment. Facing heavy opposition from charter proponents, the bill died on the Assembly Floor.
To view any of these measures go to www.leginfo.ca.gov and place in the bill number.

Charter schools make up eight of the top 10 high schools in Arizona according to a report recently released by the Arizona Department of Education and College Board, ranked by average SAT scores. Charter schools account for 15 of the top 20 public high schools in Arizona overall.
Recently, the Phoenix Business Journal reported on the rankings which highlighted charter schools in the story.
In total, 21 of the top 50 public high schools by SAT score in Arizona are charter schools. Approximately 30% of Arizona public school students attend charter schools in the state.
For a complete run down of the top 50 public high schools in Arizona by SAT score, visit the Phoenix Business Journal’s slideshow.

About Charter School Capital

Charter School Capital provides working and growth capital and charter school facilities financing nationwide. We have helped 500+ charter school educate 550,000 students across the country putting more than $1 billion to work for charter school education, including charter schools in Arizona. Ask us how we can help your school.

With a week and a half left in the legislative session there are still several bills pending that will negatively impact charter schools. Since this is the second year of a two-year session the bills will be officially dead if they are not moved onto the Governor’s desk by August 31st. Please write or call your legislator and let them know that you oppose these bills. Below are the bills that are still pending.
AB 709 by Assemblyman Mike Gipson is pending in the Assembly awaiting a concurrence vote on the Senate amendments. If it passes it will head to the Governor’s desk for his signature or veto. The measure applies the Brown Act, Public Records Act, Political Reform Act and Government Code 1090 to charter schools.
AB 1084 by Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla is pending in the Senate awaiting a vote that would send the measure back to the Assembly for a concurrence vote in Senate amendments before it heads to the Governor’s desk. The measure prohibits charter schools from being operated as or by a for-profit and would not allow a virtual or online charter to purchase any school services or materials from a for-profit entity.
SB 322 by Senator Mark Leno is pending in the Assembly awaiting a vote that would send the measure back to the Senate for a concurrence vote in Assembly amendments before it heads to the Governor’s desk. The measure would apply suspension and expulsions laws similar to school district standards to charter schools. It would also limit preferences charter schools could use for attendance purposes.
SB 739 by Senator Fran Pavley is pending in Assembly awaiting a final vote before it heads to the Governor’s desk. The measure would prohibit a school district that has received a negative certification from authorizing a charter school outside of its district boundaries under any circumstances.
To view any of these measures go to www.leginfo.ca.gov and put in the bill number.

Across the country, today’s charter schools need better access to charter school funding for working capital and facilities financing at all stages of growth. Having reliable sources of charter school funding when needed allows schools to hire teachers, purchase textbooks, upgrade classroom technology, and expand the school’s facilities footprint so charter leaders can focus on what’s most important – educating students.
Working exclusively with charter schools, Charter School Capital understands the daily pressures charter leaders face. Our team works with school leaders to develop the best strategies matched to the school’s unique financial needs. By providing funding for charter schools, we’re empowering you. We give you access to the working capital and facilities financing options you need to stay focused on education, so every student has the opportunity to become someone incredible
Let us help you in planning for your school’s future.
Our team is excited to learn more about your charter school needs. Set up a one-on-one with our client services team to find out how we can help your school. Call 877-272-1001 or email GrowCharters@charterschoolcapital.com.
Want more information on growth capital and facilities financing? We offer information on growth strategies, facilities financing options, student enrollment marketing, and more.

More than 300 charter leaders attended the Ohio Auditor of State‘s first Charter School Summit in Columbus, Ohio, last week (August 11-12). There were two days of workshops and keynote addresses from thought leaders on charter school funding, best practices, changes in the state laws, and other training topics.
Featured keynotes came from Ohio State Auditor Dave Yost, Geoffrey Canada of the Harlem Children’s Zone, Mike Feinberg of the KIPP Foundation, Dr. Steve Perry of the Capital Preparatory Magnet School, and Paolo DeMaria, the new Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction. The two-day summit provided options for charter school funding and facilities financing, compliance training around Ohio’s charter school laws, record keeping and enrollment best practices, teacher development and retention, cultivating public-private partnerships, and charter school board governance.
Charter School Capital’s own VP of Business Development/Facilities Jon Dahlberg was the panel session, The Challenges and Opportunities of Facility Expansion, presented Thursday morning. Moderated by Dr. Darlene Chambers, Senior Vice President for Programs and Services at the National Charter School Institute, the panel will also include Tom Babb of Constellation Schools, Brian Schneiderman of Self-Help and John Zitzner of Friends of Breakthrough Schools. The panel discussed the availability of charter school funding for facilities expansion and compared the benefits of leasing versus purchasing facilities, tenant improvements.
You can recap the event, watch speaker videos and see photos provided by the Ohio Auditor of State’s office.
We thank the Ohio Auditor of State’s team for inviting us to participate in their first event!

On Monday, August 1^st, the California Legislature will return from its summer recess. When they return they will have until August 31^st to complete all legislative business for the year. Since this is the second year of a two-year session, all bills that are not passed to the Governor Jerry Brown’s desk will be officially dead. With the budget a done deal and most of the ‘easier’ bills acted upon, the legislature will be dealing with a number of contentious issues. For virtual charter schools there is one bill moving through the process that could severely limit their ability to operate in the future. AB 1084, by Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, would prohibit a virtual or online charter school from being owned, or operated by, or operated as, a for-profit entity. The bill would also prohibit a nonprofit online charter school, nonprofit charter virtual academy and a nonprofit entity that operates an online or virtual charter school from contracting with a for-profit entity for the provision of instructional services. Though the charter school is defined as one that provides 80% of online teaching and pupil interaction, instructional services is not defined. This means that instructional materials, supplemental materials, special education services, and a number of other products and services could fall under the definition. AB 1084 would become effective for the 2017-18 school year. A number of charter school entities lined up to oppose the bill when it was heard in the Senate Education Committee, but it passed out on a 6-2 vote with the Chair, Carol Liu, abstaining. The measure is now on the Senate Floor and, if it passes it, will be headed to the Assembly Floor for final passage.
To register your concerns about this bill, please call your State Senator and ask that they oppose it on the Senate Floor. To view the language in the bill and the analysis of it, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov and put in the bill number.