Blueprints for Change
Challenges & Solutions:
Facilities Stories
An inside look at the biggest challenges charter schools face and the leaders driving real solutions.
Together, we’re reimagining what’s possible for public charter school facilities — and the communities they serve.
Across the country, charter school leaders face complex, often invisible barriers to securing equitable, affordable, and high-quality facilities. From inequitable funding policies to rising construction costs, these are some of the most persistent problems with charter schools today. At 22Beacon, we work to change that.
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This video series brings together voices from across the sector — policymakers, developers, and school leaders — to unpack the biggest challenges in charter school facility access and the innovative solutions that are driving change.
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Each short video explores one core problem and the creative paths forward — from unlocking low-cost capital to building stronger partnerships and policies that make real impact.
Barrier
Inequitable Policies
From outdated legislation to structural inequities, charter schools continue to receive fewer public resources for facilities than district schools.
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This remains one of the most persistent and overlooked problems with charter schools today.
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Solutions
Real progress starts with fair funding. By expanding programs that help schools access better financing, states can ensure every public school student — including those in charter schools — has equal access to quality facilities and resources.
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Solution: Advocate for Fair Funding
When school leaders build direct relationships with their elected officials and help them see the impact their schools have on communities, policy change follows. Per-pupil facilities funding remains the single biggest policy lever for closing the charter school funding gap.
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Solution: Utilize Credit Enhancement
Credit enhancement allows organizations like 22Beacon to leverage state dollars to unlock favorable loan terms for schools at virtually no risk to the state. It's one of the most effective ways to expand access to better financing, yet many school leaders don't know it exists.
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High interest rates. Limited credit access. Restrictive financing options. For many charter schools, the first and biggest obstacle is simply finding affordable capital.
These school funding issues hit hardest in under-resourced communities, where schools are charged interest rates far higher than they should be and lack access to local revenues that traditional district schools receive automatically. The result is less money for classrooms and more money going toward buildings.
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Barrier
Access to Low-Cost Capital
Solutions
States and mission-aligned partners are rewriting the playbook on school financing.
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Solution: Revolving Loan Funds
Some states have found a powerful formula for solving school funding problems: revolving loan funds that give early-stage schools access to low or no-interest capital, which then recycles back into new projects as schools repay. When combined with credit enhancement and private investment, this creates a trifecta that has already transformed the charter school landscape in states like Idaho.
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Solution: Creative Financing Solutions
Early-stage charter schools need more than just a loan. They need flexible capital from partners who understand the complexities of school real estate and are committed to finding solutions when conventional lenders say no. When CDFIs and nonprofit developers come together, they create financing opportunities that wouldn't exist otherwise. Press play to watch the video.
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"Public charter schools should have access to all of the public facility financing opportunities in the same way that a traditional system does."
– Darryl Cobb,
President at Charter School Growth Fund
Barrier
Rising Costs
Across the U.S., building costs continue to rise faster than per-pupil funding. Schools are struggling to build — or even lease — spaces that meet their needs.
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When construction costs, interest rates, and limited market availability combine, projects that schools need simply stall. This is one of the key reasons why charter schools fail to secure the learning environments their students deserve.
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Solution
The answer may already exist in our neighborhoods. By repurposing underutilized or abandoned buildings, states and school leaders are creating cost-effective, sustainable facilities that revitalize communities.
Solution to Rising Costs
States are already taking action, creating incentives for districts to open up underused facilities and giving charter schools the right to redevelop them for educational use. The result is lower costs for schools and renewed purpose for buildings that would otherwise sit vacant.
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Add a Title
Barrier
Lack of Expertise and Guidance
School leaders are educators first — yet they’re often tasked with navigating complex real estate and financing processes without the resources or expertise to do so.
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Every hour a school leader spends navigating real estate is an hour taken away from students. And for many leaders of color, the challenge is compounded by a lack of access to the networks and resources that make these processes navigable in the first place.
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Solutions
Partnering with trusted, mission-aligned organizations like 22Beacon gives schools access to the expertise, capital, and support they need to stay focused on students. By also providing flexible, affordable incubation spaces, states can help new schools grow responsibly and sustainably — building strong foundations for long-term success.
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Solution: Mission-Aligned Partnerships
The earlier a school leader connects with the right partners, the better. Not every organization that offers help has the expertise to deliver. Schools need dedicated, knowledgeable thought partners who can guide them through the complexities of real estate affordably and effectively.
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Solution: Early-Stage Incubation
Space & Funding
The facility decisions a school makes in its first few years can shape its trajectory for decades. Setting realistic budgets, keeping facility costs within a manageable range, and knowing what to invest in now versus later are choices that compound over time.
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Featuring Voices From
Derrell Bradford (President, 50CAN) · Alan Washington (President & CEO, 22Beacon) · Darryl Cobb (President, Charter School Growth Fund) · Jennifer O'Neal Schiess (Senior Partner, Bellwether) · Rashaun Kemp (Georgia State Senator & The National Charter Collaborative) · Eva Schweitzer (Partner, Seven Cs Collaborative) · Michael McGregor (Children First Capital Advisors) · Jake Cinti (OPEN Impact Real Estate) · Matthew Joseph (ExcelinEd) · Kairat Mavlyankulov (Charter School Finance and Development) · David Dillman (Empower College Prep) · Cheryl Rose (Edison School of Innovation) · Mark Medema (EdVillage Group) · Ronald Rice (National Alliance for Public Charter Schools) · Chuck Jackson (Creative Minds International) · Scott Campbell (Nashville Incubator) · Lagra Newman (Purpose Prep Academy)
Solutions Exist
Leading Together
Every problem in this series points to the same truth: solutions exist — and they work when we lead with purpose, partnership, and policy.
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At 22Beacon, we’re proud to work alongside schools, lenders, and advocates to close the facilities gap and build stronger, more equitable learning environments for every student. As a certified CDFI with over 25 years of experience, we've supported 236 schools and helped create over 123,000 student seats nationwide.