PCSD/WCSD Fall 2015 E-Newsletter
 
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A Message From John Sun, President & CEO

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I would like to congratulate all our charter school partners on the successful start of another school year and their tireless work to continue to transform the lives of students in need.  Through these strong partnerships, this year we delivered nine additional facilities from Santa Ana, California to Washington State.

Our excitement, however, is tempered by the stunning news that the Washington State Supreme Court ruled to invalidate the state's charter school law.  The ruling impacts the lives of more than 1,200 students currently enrolled in the State's charter schools.  PCSD and its Washington State affiliate, Washington Charter School Development (WCSD), stand firmly behind the eight schools that opened this fall as well as our Washington partners.

Overall, 2015 marks PCSD's 11th year supporting high quality schools in underserved communities, and we hit the major milestone of delivering our 50th school facility.  We look forward to our continued partnership with all of you.  We'd like to use this newsletter to share some of these successes as well as provide updates on our organization.

Warm Regards,

John Sun

 
 
 
 

Our 2015 New Facilities in Southern California

PCSD is proud to have completed seven new school facilities in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas for the 2015-16 school year.  Together they provide over 150,000 sf of educational space for over 2,500 students.  Below is a list of our Los Angeles/Santa Ana openings:

  • Bright Star Valor Academy Middle School
  • Fenton FASEL and STEM Academies
  • SOS-El Sol Wellness Center
  • Equitas Academy Middle School
  • Orange County Educational Arts Academy Kindergarten Center
  • Camino Nuevo Charter Academy Kayne Siart Campus  

To learn more about these projects please visit our website.  

 
 
 
 

Our 2015 New Facilities in Washington State

Washington Charter School Development, PCSD's Washington State affiliate, is proud to have completed three new school facilities in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington for the 2015-16 school year.  Together they provide over 109,500 sf of educational space for over 1,400 students.  Below is a list of our Seattle and Tacoma, Washington openings:

  • Summit Public Schools - Sierra High School
  • Green Dot Public Schools - Destiny High School
  • Summit Public Schools - Olympus High School

To learn more about these projects please visit our website.  

 
 

In The News

Washington Supreme Court Ruling on Charter Schools:  On September 4th, the State of Washington rejected the public charter school law that Washington voters approved in 2012.  The decision was based on a century-old precedent and said that public charter schools cannot receive "common school" public funds because they are not overseen by elected boards.  On September 8, the Seattle Times Editorial Board said, The Washington Supreme Court should reconsider its ruling that the state’s charter school law is unconstitutional.”  This case sat for more than 11 months with the state court and it is unfortunate that the ruling came 18 days after 8 charter schools opened for the 2015-16 school year and five days prior to the 2015-16 opening of district schools, impacting more than 1,200 students and their families.  The growth of charter schools comes as families are seeking new and different ways of education for their children.  

Please voice your support for Washington State Charter schools by tweeting or posting a message on Facebook through this link.  You can help draw awareness to this issue and the need for an immediate solution by using the hashtag #saveWAcharterschools on social media.  

 
 

Industry Publications

Charter School Facility Finance Landscape:  Prepared by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, it provides an overview of current financing options from foundations and nonprofit financing organizations, as well as a detailed description of the tax-exempt bond market for charter schools. It also details federal and state policies that support charter school facilities.  

Chartering Turnaround:  Leveraging Public Charter School Autonomy to Address Failure:  Prepared by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the report provides case studies of three charter management organizations (CMOs) that have successfully restarted low-achieving public schools, adding a valuable component to the body of research about turnaround models.  

U.S. Charter School's Median Ratios Reveal A Young Sector Growing Rapidly but with Volatility:  A presentation prepared by Standard and Poor's Rating Services provides information on factors affecting the credit rating of charter schools in the bond market including schools' management, charter environment, financial performance and financial obligations.