Charter Schools
Charter Schools are fairly new, innovative public schools that may have different rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools. They are designed to deliver programs tailored to educational excellence and the needs of the communities they serve. Policymakers, parents, and educators are looking at chartering as a way to increase educational choice and innovation within the public school system.
At PNC[1] we combine a wider range of financial resources with a deeper understanding of your organization, to help you achieve your goals.
PNC Understands Charter Schools
Owning a facility is important to a charter school achieving its mission of offering a quality education, and provides stability as well as growth. As a leader in charter school financing, PNC understands the legal and financial variables that affect charter schools' ability to gain access to long-term financing rates through the issuance of municipal securities. Through our vast network of institutional investors PNCCM[2] has created an active market for the purchase of charter school tax-exempt bond issues.
PNCCM Offers Solutions for Charter Schools
Charter Schools often cannot raise enough grant funds to cover the costs of their facility projects. Through accessing the bond market, our Charter School clients have obtained a suitable source of financing for their building projects. Debt service payments can be comparable to lease payments, which allow schools to own their buildings, rather than just renting their facility.
Capital Markets Solutions: Tax Exempt Revenue Bonds
Why Tax-Exempt Bonds for Charter Schools?
Most states, cities, counties, and school districts use tax-exempt "municipal bonds" as their major source of capital. The advantages of a tax-exempt bond issue are:
- Tax-exempt rates are generally lower than taxable rates or traditional bank financing
- No up-front cash or equity is required, which will allow your school to borrow up to 100% of the cost of your project
- Long-term fixed rates for up to 30 years will provide a predictable cost of capital that facilitates the school budgeting process
- Commercial bank financing typically will require 10% to 20% equity and set your interest rate for only 5 to 10 years, introducing refinancing risk and future market risk
What is involved in a Charter School Tax-exempt Bond Issue?
While more complex than typical bank financing, PNCCM's experience in this type of transaction can make the process easier. Once you have identified your project: refinancing of existing debt, acquisition, renovation or construction, and its financial scope, the bond process typically takes three to six months. During that time the following are some of the tasks that will be required:
- Select underwriting and financing team
- Receive an "inducement resolution" from a municipal entity to issue the tax-exempt bonds on your behalf
- Apply to a rating agency to receive your credit rating
- Document the transaction
- Conduct investor site visits
- Price and close the bond issue
For More Information
Contact Us
For more ideas about the solutions PNC can offer, contact:
Greg McKenna
greg.mckenna@pnc.com | 412-779-0066
An Tran
an.tran@pnc.com | 215-585-4978
Important Legal Disclosures and Information
Allocation of Callable Securities Your account may contain “callable” securities, which allow the issuer to repurchase or redeem the securities by a specified date. In the event of a partial redemption or call of securities by the issuer, PNC Capital Markets LLC will allocate among its customers, the securities being selected as called, on a fair and impartial basis through a randomized lottery system. If your account contains callable securities subject to a partial redemption or call, the probability of your securities being selected as called is proportional to the holdings of all customers of such securities held in bulk by PNC Capital Markets LLC. Notwithstanding the foregoing statements, PNC Capital Markets LLC will further ensure equitable allocation of the callable securities by excluding itself as well as its interested persons from the lottery system when the redemption is made on terms that are favorable to PNC Capital Markets LLC; and including itself as well as its interested persons in the lottery system when the redemption is made on terms that are unfavorable to PNC Capital Markets LLC.
PNC Capital Markets LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of the NASD and SIPC.
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