Pub. 1 2011-2012 Issue 1

23 C har t er Founder s creat e school s to provide new and unique educat ional opportunities to students. Whether that goal is to help students in a particular area, a particular student or educate according to a certain methodology, schools are not built strictly for the purpose of building a facility. Unfortunately, however, the plans ofmanywell-intend- ed founders are derailed by issues related to creating the facility they need to house their school. As a Founder of ProvidenceHall Charter School, and involved in the creation of many others, I witnessed first-hand how the creation of a facility and the financing can impact the success of a school long-term. Throughout these projects I have learned a few things I hope may benefit you in your school construction process: First, find knowledgeable partners in construction and finance. If you have someone on your board with a finance or construction background then that will work in your favor, however, these people need to understand that since they are on your board they cannot be compensated for their work. Since finding volunteers is an arduous task, most schools will need to look for partners.While selecting these partners you need to follow the RFP process. You will need to put services out to bid through the statemandated process. (See info on the USOE website for RFP process.) Ei- ther before the RFP process or during, talk with other schools that have successfully built/re-modeled their own schools to find out who they worked with and what their results were. When you do select partners, maintain distinct relationships with partners to ensure your school doesn’t get cut out of the finance, location, designor constructionquestions. And very importantly, make sure the contracts are written in such a way as to ensure the school retains control of the process with financiers, architects and builders. Second, determine the needs of your school. Histori- cally, schools would modify an existing building until enrollment and academic needswere determined. Then you would build a new facility to better serve your long-term needs. However, recent seismic require- ments have now been enforced on charter school facilities as well, which would make any building built after the 1980s more expensive to renovate then to just build a new one. If you’re adopting a renovated building, plan at least 6 months worth of building construction. If you choose to build a newbuilding from the ground up, your largest issue will be obtaining financing. With the down economy, getting construction financ- ing is quite difficult, especially for a school with no track record or financial history. This doesn’t mean that you need to be anxious and tempted by any finance package. Have any finance package reviewed for buy-out issues. This is where you need to rely on experienced school financiers or developers. A warning: don’t allow board members or volun- teers to co-sign or guarantee financing. While some financiers have requested these guarantees, this can be a detriment to founders later on. By the time your school opens, you will give enough of yourself without signing over your financial security. Third, maintain a close hands-on oversight of the design and construction process. Construction over- sight is a long discussion that can’t be fully covered here, but to start, you need a very clear picture of what you expect of your school and make sure the school retains control and oversight during the process. Failure to watch closely means that corners could be cut, or modifications will occur that could cost the school in the long run. Builders only know to build what is in the plans; it’s the school’s job to ensure that what is being built is what is needed. Student safety should be paramount. Charter schools are held to the same safety and code stan- dards as any other public school. The earlier you be- gin working with the USOE Building officials, State Fire Marshal’s office, Risk Management, etc., the better off you will be. The majority of these groups must approve the plans for your school. It’s better to invite their help early because ultimately you all share the same goal – keeping your school safe. Erin Preston is currently the Superintendent of Providence Hall Elementary and Junior High and can be reached at erin@ providencehall.com . What to Know By Erin Preston, Superintendent | Providence Hall BEFORE YOU BUILD