Facility Plans

The Charter School Start-up and Operating Guidebook provides guidance regarding facility options and financing opportunities. The school may want to consider hiring professional consultants to help navigate the development of a safe, legal, and appropriate school facility.

As it becomes evident that contract terms will be finalized, the founding group can also prepare to finalize the plans for the school facility. Once the school has a contract with the authorizer, it can then enter into contracts with contractors, finalize construction schedules, and prepare for the delivery of school furniture and supplies. Construction schedules can be very short depending on the time of year when the charter contract is ultimately approved. The school should consider developing contingency plans in case the facility is not ready on the planned first day of school. In addition, it is important to remember that emergency plans (in the event of fire, tornado, security breach, etc.) should be in place prior to the first week of school.