Initative

November 2014

Charter School Facilities Initiative

Time and time again, Ohio charter school advocates have expressed that facilities challenges (quality, availability, and cost) are a top priority and concern. Because of this, OAPCS is launching a new facilities initiative that could potentially reshape the charter school facilities landscape. Its objective is as follows:

• All Ohio school children deserve facilities adequate to provide a quality education. A significant number of Ohio’s children attend schools that do not have access to the funding necessary to provide adequate facilities – charter schools being a notably under-resourced population.

OAPCS is partnering with the Colorado League of Charter Schools and the United States Department of Education to develop and implement a comprehensive facilities survey and accompanying policy report on the state of Ohio’s charter school facilities. We hope we can count on you to assist us in making the case that all Ohio children deserve adequate educational facilities.

The Facilities Initiative will identify prominent shortcomings in current capital landscape, and develop a blueprint of public policy and private sector changes leading to a comprehensive long-range system of adequate public school facilities.

Similar surveys and reports have been conducted in 14 states to date, and the results have allowed those states to make legislative and policy gains to enhance the quality financing and availability of facilities to their charter schools. Visit www.facilitiesinitiative.org to see the state reports and to learn more about this project.

In order to make this a successful endeavor in Ohio, your support for the upcoming survey will be essential.

More information will be coming soon. Please feel free to contact Jesse Truett at 614-744-2266 x212 or jtruett@oapcs.org if you have any questions or need any additional information.