Starting a Charter School: Budgeting for Facilities with Modular Construction
When starting a charter school, it can be stressful to account for all areas of planning. A great amount of time is spent budgeting to make sure that all of the needs will be satisfied. Certain areas like finding classroom facilities may be overwhelming; especially because constructing a building takes time, and requires a significant amount of capital. When opening a charter school, facilities need to be made available quickly, priced affordably, and be hassle-free. For these reasons, in the past few decades, modular building construction has become the leader in producing classroom facilities for charter schools.
Charter schools are continuing to pop up across America, and it is easy to understand why. Similar to traditional public schools, they are free for students to attend and are funded by the state. There are some differences however in the way that they are funded, and the amount of money in which they are granted. According to the Education Commission of the States (ECS), a different set of laws apply to charter schools state-to-state, and each operates by its own rules. For the most part, however, charter schools are granted money based on a per-pupil formula; and as enrollment increases so do their funding. Funding from the state can be applied to anything from teacher salaries and student transportation, to facilities costs, and much more.
Funding
Charter schools receive funding from the state in the same way that traditional public schools do; however, in some states, they typically receive less (the74million.org). There are certain areas where charter schools do not receive extra funding to cover costs of maintenance or repairs. When unexpected breaks, cracks, or damages occur, the charter schools are responsible to use operating funds to pay for it. When leasing a modular building, minor repairs and checkups are included with the building, which will help to prevent any large and expensive repairs from occurring. This convenient benefit of modular construction makes it an ideal candidate for charter schools.
Rent Buildings
Starting a charter school requires a lot of planning following approval. The largest and most daunting task is to not only find a building for the school, but also the means in which to pay for it, or to construct it. Although charter schools do have a regular flow of funding, they may not have the significant capital needed to start a building construction project. With modular construction, charter schools have the option to lease buildings, with an affordable monthly rate and no expensive down payment. The modular industry makes the building process easy and hassle-free. BOXX Modular in particular even offers to finance for the delivery of installation, so charter schools have one monthly payment.
Financing Buildings
Although renting temporary buildings is a popular choice, charter schools also have the option to purchase their building as well. If a school does not have the money to buy the building outright, that’s okay. With modular construction, charter schools can easily finance their facilities into affordable monthly payments until the buildings are eventually paid off, and handed over to them.
Enrollment Growth
After starting a charter school your school will begin to grow, requiring additional classroom space, libraries, cafeterias, or even office space for your teachers. With modular construction, additional facilities can be easily added to existing buildings. Or, as your school begins to become well-established, permanent modular construction may be an option as well.
Class time will not be interrupted, and the construction process will be quick and simple. Because the modular units are constructed in a manufacturing facility, weather delays and on-site construction noise will not be an issue that your school has to be concerned with.
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Since the inception of charter schools, the modular building industry has been the premier building supplier for their facilities. Due to their low costs and ability to solve space problems quickly, modular buildings can offer high-quality products when speed and safety are key.
BOXX Modular’s financing options, lease rates, and modular classrooms can benefit your charter school. Learn More
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