Capital

Improvement Proposal
Capital Project Sales Tax Commission
May 12, 2014
Edward Foster, Board Chair
Alison Thomas, School Director

What is a Charter School?

Charter Schools are public schools of
CHOICE!
Charter Schools are non-sectarian, non-
religious, non-homebased and non-
prot corporations
Charter Schools operate within and are
accountable to a public school district
- SC Charter Schools Act

What is a Charter School?

The SC Charter Schools Act (1996)
outlines the need for new, innovative
and more exible ways of educating
all children.

Who are we?

Riverview Charter School is:
Beaufort Countys rst charter school (2009)
Beaufort Countys only locally sponsored public
charter school
A Faculty & Sta of 75 full & part-time employees
Currently operating in the former Shell Point
Elementary school in Port Royal

Who do we
serve?

ENROLLED
APPLICANTS
WAIT LIST

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488 students in
Kindergarten
through 8th grade,
all Beaufort County
residents
The School will
increase student
enrollment each
year until reaching
its maximum
enrollment of 684
students in 2018

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Data on image from 2012-2013

Student Body

Student'Demographics'(2014815)'

African$American$

19%$

24%$

White$
Other$

57%$

Commitment to the Community

Riverviews mission is to create a small,
diverse learning community that actively
engages students in meaningful and
innovative learning experiences.
Emphasizing learning by doing, family and
community involvement, and engaged
citizenship, Riverview is committed to
nurturing the whole child and preparing
each student for a global society.

Commitment to the Community

Riverviews mission is to create a small,
diverse learning community that actively
engages students in meaningful and
innovative learning experiences.
Emphasizing learning by doing, family and
community involvement, and engaged
citizenship, Riverview is committed to
nurturing the whole child and preparing
each student for a global society.

Innovation and Accountability

Ranked among the top 3% of public schools in
South Carolina!
Perfect 100% Federal Report Card Rating
Both Elementary & Middle School grade levels
Palmetto Gold School
Both Elementary & Middle School grade levels
State Report Card Rating
Excellent Overall & Excellent Growth for both
Elementary & Middle School grade levels

Operating Expenses
2013-2014
6%

10%

4%
3%

20%

57%

Salaries
Benefits/Taxes
Supplies/Equipment
Facility Expenses
Support Services
Legal & Fiscal Services

Facilities C
osts
2013-2014
$85,000
$270,000

$10,400
$4,000

$91,700
$5,700

Rent
Water & Sewer
Custodial
Property Insurance
Trash Service
Electric & Gas

The Challenge...
Capital funding for construction of facilities
By August 2016 we will outgrow our current
facility
Strategies under investigation include:
Designing & building a new facility
Renovating & expanding our current facility

Capital Improvement Program

Opportunity
Eliminates the greatest nancial risk the School
faces, cementing the schools longevity as a public
school of choice for all Beaufort County residents
Value of teaching and learning at all public
schools is immeasurable and providing students
appropriate facilities should parallel that thinking
Facility condition has enormous impact on
student achievement

Proposal #1: Construct a new facility

Project Cost:
$18-22MM
LEED-certied
Opportunities
for broadbase
community
use:

Athletic elds
Performing
Arts Center
Media Center

Riverview Elementary School, Snohomish, Washington

Proposal #2: Recycle current facility

Project Cost:
$8MM
Negotiate with
Beaufort County
School District
for long-term
use of current
facility
Renovate
current structure
Construct
additional space
as required
Buckingham County Primary & Elementary Schools, Dillwyn, Virginia

Criteria for Consideration

Can Project Be Funded From

Other Sources?
No - not without diverting operational
dollars out of the classroom! Under state
law, charter schools are not independently
eligible for existing federal, state or local
capital funds

Will Project Create Revenue?

Research indicates that quality public schools help
make states and localities more economically
competitive.
Public schools indisputably inuence residential
property values.
The existing empirical evidence indicates that K-12
expenditures have the eect of increasing: personal
income, manufacturing investments and employment;
number of small business starts; and the residential
labor force available in a metropolitan area.
1

1 Public Schools and Economic Development: What the Research Shows, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Jonathan D. Weiss, 2004
2 (K-12 Education in the US Economy, National Education Association, 2004)

Maintenance and Personnel Costs

Once Project Complete?
The School has sucient operating funds for
the maintenance and personnel associated
with a permanent facility, once constructed

Creating Jobs
Preserves existing positions while creating
additional employment opportunities for an
expanded faculty and sta
Design and renovation/construction of a
100,000sf facility will create short-term
construction jobs and long-term facility
maintenance opportunities

Helping Beaufort County As a Whole

As the only Beaufort County sponsored public
charter school, Riverview is unique in that it
can only serve students in Beaufort County,
but given its county-wide student attendance
zone can impact any family county-wide
Public charters serve as incubators for
innovation in public education

Cost Benet Scenario

Every operational dollar not applied to capital
expenses is available to support teaching and
learning in the classroom
If funded, up to $10MM in interest payments
will be saved and not paid to out of state
investors, keeping those dollars in our
classrooms where they recirculate in our local
community!

THANK YOU!

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can

change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
~Margaret Mead