Educational Facilities and School Construction

School overcrowding and inadequate facilities have been ongoing problems in New York City’s public education system.  Since 1999, LISC NYC has worked to help CDCs and other education-focused organizations improve school facilities in their neighborhoods.

Educational Venture Seed Fund (EVSF) –   In 1999, LISC launched EVSF after participating in the School Construction Working Group, a unique collaboration between LISC, CDCs, parent organizing groups and financial institutions.  Over four years, EVSF provided predevelopment support  for CDCs working to build schools in their neighborhoods on behalf of the Board of Education.  As a result of this granting activity, several organizations have sinced moved projects into the site acquisition and development phases.

Expanding on the work done through EVSF, LISC NYC seeks to help build critically needed educational facilities in disadvantaged communities throughout the City's five boroughs by providing predevelopment recoverable grants, technical assistance, and loans to CDCs, charter and alternative schools, after-school programs, and education-focused developers to help finance the acquisition, renovation, and construction of new facilities.   

If you would like to read the New York City Department of Education's proposed capital plan for education, Children First Ten-Year Needs Assessment and Proposed 2005-2009 Five-Year Capital Plan, please click here. 

NEW RESOURCE!
National LISC's EFFC is pleased to announce publication of "The Finance Gap: Charter Schools and their Facilities." With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the EFFC has teamed with the Institute for Education and Social Policy (IESP) of New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education to produce this comprehensive report of the facilities-related challenges charter schools face and the methods they have used to overcome them.

The study examines the facilities experiences of charter schools in fourteen states and the District of Columbia, jurisdictions that house 75 percent of the nation’s charter schools. The findings substantiate and detail the widely-held, but rather general, belief that facilities are the number one hurdle for charter school developers. Researchers conducted over 100 interviews with representatives of public schools, including charter schools and charter school networks; federal, state and local public education officials; representatives of public school advocacy groups, partners, and resource centers; and representatives of the real estate and finance communities. This report documents the shared experiences of charter schools with innovative financing mechanisms, private sector involvement in facilities financing, and the use of instructional revenue for the repayment of debt. It also offers recommendations for public and private sector participants.

This publication can be downloaded electronically by visiting LISC's website.

NEW OPPORTUNITY!
Please click here to learn more about the Building Excellent Schools Fellowship Program.  Building Excellent Schools is a small nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting only the highest quality urban charter schools.  The Fellowship Program is a year-long, full-time commitment through which participants work towards designing an urban school of excellence.  During the Fellowship's intense 12 months, Fellows receive a $50,000 stipend and comprehensive support in expanding their visions, designing their schools and preparing their charter applications.  The Fellowship trains, coaches, mentors, and supports individuals and community groups who are hungry to found, build, and manage an excellent public school.