District of Columbia
State Financing Map
Overview
The District of Columbia’s charter public school law was enacted in 1996. Since then its charter sector has grown to 122 charter schools serving 39,085 students in the 2018-19 school year. According to a ranking by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools that measures state laws against its model charter school law, the District of Columbia ranks 11th out of 45 states with a charter school law enacted. Washington, D.C., facilities law provides a per-pupil facilities aid program. The law provides the Public Charter School Credit Enhancement Fund, which provides credit enhancement for the purchase, construction, and/or renovation of facilities for charter schools. The law provides the Direct Loan Fund for Charter School Improvement, which provides flexible loan capital for the construction, purchase, renovation, and maintenance of charter school facilities.
State Charter School Facilities Incentive Grant Award Total: $5.6 million—Fiscal Years 2004 through 2008.
States Resources & Additional Information
In 1998, the Council of the District of Columbia passed the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula for Public Schools and Public Charter Schools Act, providing charter schools in the District of Columbia with an annual per-pupil allocation, as well as an annual facilities allowance. Historically, the Charter Schools Facilities Allowance was calculated as a rolling average of District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) per-pupil facilities expenditures. In FY2009 the Charter Schools Facilities Allowance was decoupled from DCPS per-pupil expenditures. The allowances for FY2009 and FY2010 were $3,109 and $2,800 per pupil, respectively. Since 2011 the amount has remained steady at about $3,000 per pupil and the per pupil facility allowance for FY21 is $3,408.
Last Updated: December 2020
The Office of Public Charter School Financing and Support (OPCSFS) administers programs that offer facilities financing and grant resources to charter schools in the District of Columbia. Current programs that offer facilities financing assistance and grant assistance include the following: the Credit Enhancement Revolving Loan Fund, the Direct Loan Fund, and the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Facilities Grant.
Last Updated: December 2020
The District of Columbia’s Credit Enhancement Revolving Fund was established by the FY2000 District of Columbia Appropriations Act to provide credit enhancement for the purchase, construction, and renovation of facilities for public charter schools. The program offers guarantees or collateral pledges of up to $1 million for two to five years, enabling charter schools with little cash or collateral to obtain affordable financing for their facilities projects. Since inception this fund has provided $27 million in credit enhancement to 32 public charter schools for leasehold improvement loans, conventional mortgages, bond financings, and small direct loans, leveraging $486 million in additional financing for school facilities. As of December 31, 2020, the available Credit Enhancement Fund balance was $29.6 million.
Last Updated: February 2021
The District of Columbia’s Direct Loan Fund for Public Charter School Improvement was established in 2003 to provide flexible loan capital for the construction, purchase, renovation, and maintenance of charter school facilities. Loans are capped at $2 million per school, with interest rates and terms varying by project. These loans are frequently used in conjunction with senior debt in larger projects and may function as gap financing in transactions where little equity is available. To date the fund has disbursed close to $72 million in direct loans to 49 public charter schools, leveraging $492 million in additional financing. As of December 21, 2020, the available Direct Loan Fund balance was $28.3 million.
Last Updated: February 2020
The Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act is a federal law that authorizes funding for District of Columbia public charter schools to improve school performance and educational outcomes and to provide facility funding in order to increase the number of high-quality public charter school seats. The OPCSFS office administers these funds.
Last Updated: February 2021
The Facilities Grant under the SOAR Act began in FY12 in order to provide high-quality public charter schools with funds to renovate former D.C. public school facilities that are leased from the District or to renovate facilities that are owned by charter schools.
To be eligible applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
- Must be a DC public charter school
- May not have any Tier 3 campus(es) or grade span(s) on any DC Public Charter School Board (PCSB) Performance Management Framework (PMF) for the previous school year
- Must meet a threshold of quality based on the DC PCSB PMF
The allowable uses for this grant were expanded for FY20 beyond renovation and reconstruction to support the changing needs of charter schools because of COVID-19. The allowable uses for FY20 for the grant have been expanded to include school safety upgrades (e.g., hand washing stations, HVAC upgrades, dividers) and technology infrastructure needed for virtual instruction (e.g., hot spots, learning management systems).
Last Updated: February 2021
Note: This sub-grant is no longer active; the last award was made in FY15.
The OPCSFS made grants for the Replication and Growth Grant under the SOAR Act from FY12 to FY15, to support the replication and expansion of new charter schools by funding planning and development of new facilities to increase the number of high-quality seats available. This grant targeted high-performing charter school operators starting new campuses. From FY12 to FY15, 36 sub-grants were awarded through this program totaling $3.14 million.
Last Updated: December 2020
Charter schools must be given the right of first offer to purchase, lease, or otherwise use an excess school facility by the Mayor. First preference should be given to an existing tenant that is a charter school that has occupied all, or substantially all, of the facility or property. Second preference should be given to a charter school that the Public Charter School Board has determined to be high-performing and financially sound. However, there have been limited facilities offered to charter schools in recent years.
Last Updated: February 2021
Disclosure: Information on this page has been provided by the organization. Any questions related to figures or programs listed should be directed to the contact shown above. Keep in mind that each school’s situation will differ slightly and you’ll need to speak to the contact listed for information specific to your school.
Note: This program is not currently active and there have been no new awards since FY12
The City Build Public Charter School Initiative, established in 2004, is a congressionally funded joint education and neighborhood development initiative that promotes community revitalization with a particular emphasis on strengthening public education through charter schools. The program focuses on encouraging community development, attracting and retaining residents, and creating partnerships between public charter schools and community organizations. Although funds from this program may be used for a variety of purposes, most of the grants awarded to date have been allocated for facilities and expansion projects. The program has awarded $25 million in funding to 34 charter school projects to date, with the last round of funding expended in FY12.
Last Updated: December 2020
The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 granted the District of Columbia authority to issue tax-exempt revenue bonds to finance the acquisition, construction and renovation of eligible capital projects operated by nonprofit institutions, including charter schools. The Revenue Bond Program provides below market interest rate loans to qualified organizations from the issuance and sale of tax-exempt municipal revenue bonds, notes or other obligations. Loan funds may be used to finance, refinance or reimburse the costs of acquiring, constructing, restoring, rehabilitating, expanding, improving, equipping and furnishing real property and related facilities. Through FY2014, this program has closed 46 charter school bond financings totaling $458 million.
Last Updated: December 2020
The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 granted the District of Columbia authority to issue tax-exempt revenue bonds to finance the acquisition, construction and renovation of eligible capital projects operated by nonprofit institutions, including charter schools. The Revenue Bond Program provides below market interest rate loans to qualified organizations from the issuance and sale of tax-exempt municipal revenue bonds, notes or other obligations. Loan funds may be used to finance, refinance or reimburse the costs of acquiring, constructing, restoring, rehabilitating, expanding, improving, equipping and furnishing real property and related facilities.
Last Updated: December 2020
Note: Recent information on the number and amount of bond financings is not available and will be added when we are able to confirm this information.
Building Pathways, formerly known as the Charter School Incubator Initiative, is a non-profit organization established in 2006 that provides move-in-ready space to start-up or replicating charter schools in Washington, DC. Building Pathways started as a program developed by Building Hope in partnership with the DC Office for the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) through a one-time investment of $9 million.
Building Pathways identifies and secures facilities, assists with the design, construction, and renovation of such facilities, and also secures project financing.
Since its inception, Building Pathways has provided more than 810,000 square feet of space to support 26 start-up or expanding charter schools with the capacity to serve over 7,500 students throughout the city, particularly in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Note: Information on recent projects is not available and will be added when we are able to confirm this information.
Last Updated: December 2020
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