School Support Organizations
Creating and sustaining new public schools is a difficult endeavor. NewSchools has seen great demand for entrepreneurial ventures that address the various barriers that inhibit the growth of high-quality charter schools and the success of traditional public schools. Examples include finding and managing facilities for new schools, providing academic support, and structuring back-office and administrative operations efficiently.
NewSchools Fund III will support entrepreneurial organizations that address these and other needs.
Facilities. Currently, the single greatest hurdle to the growth of charter schools is a lack of access to buildings and to facilities financing. Charter schools are forced to spend too much of their limited capital on facilities, and developing real estate distracts from vital education matters. We believe that there is a significant opportunity for facilities solution providers that aggregate development expertise and capital, thus improving the quality and economics of charter school facilities. NewSchools has invested and will continue to support organizations that enable schools to outsource their facilities needs to knowledgeable and capable facilities organizations.
Academic Support. The success of all schools ultimately relies on strong academic outcomes for students. To this end, NewSchools will support organizations that provide public school systems with high-quality academic support.
Other Support Services. In order to maximize the resources devoted to instruction and improve schools’ overall performance, NewSchools is helping to create or invest in robust school system support organizations. These support services help both charter and traditional school systems tackle some of their most intractable challenges, such as back-office administration and various student services.