Refinancing charter school facility debt is a daunting challenge for charter school operators. Operators face many of the same challenges they face when initially securing financing for their facilities, including: lack of taxing authority, limited public capital funds to pay for facilities, and inequities in operating funding. However, unlike traditional public schools, charter schools are responsible for developing and financing their facilities from discounted public funding sources.

The Communities of Excellence: Charter School Facility Refinancing Guide and Toolkit by the Charter School Facility Center helps schools address the considerations they need to take into account when refinancing their facility.

The first section of this guide outlines the refinancing process and links to a companion toolkit. The second section of the guide outlines the long term and short-term sources of refinancing available to charter schools. These sources include the bond market, State Credit Enhancement, Philanthropically Enhanced Funds, the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program (BGP), USDA Community Facilities Programs, Banks, and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). Read through this guide to make the most of your refinancing opportunity.

Communities of Excellence Project: Charter School Facility Refinancing Guide & Toolkit Here