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Education

Access to High-Quality Education

Everyone deserves a high-quality learning and educational experience and a space to prosper, grow and succeed. Charter schools have become critical and proven resources for providing equitable learning opportunities and mitigating educational gaps in New Jersey, especially in underserved school districts. Charter schools in New Jersey serve over 52,000 students across the state. Of these students, the majority are Black and Latinx from economically disadvantaged communities. Charter schools provide a unique opportunity to promote innovative, quality education while also serving as community-based institutions that offer resources for local economic growth.

Over the last 25 years, New Jersey Community Capital has invested over $75 million in charter schools and leveraged over $330 million in total project development costs. NJCC’s extensive work in this area speaks to our strong belief in supporting charter schools that serve their surrounding communities and share our mission.

How We Invest

As the foremost charter school lender in New Jersey, NJCC has the deep expertise and flexibility to create lending products that meet the unique needs of charter schools. With support, these schools can do what they do best: help students succeed. We focus on:

  • Awarding flexible, low-cost capital through our lending program for charter schools that includes acquisition and construction financing, mini-permanent and permanent financing, leasehold improvement, lease guaranties, and short-term working capital loans.
  • Providing technical assistance and training through portfolio management, financial training, research sponsorship and policy advocacy to advance charter school development and the broader community development industry in New Jersey.

35

New Jersey charter schools financed

18,400+

charter school seats supported

$330 Million+

total project costs leveraged

$75 Million+

direct financing committed

1.6 Million

square feet of education space developed

Through a diverse set of loan products, including acquisition, construction, leasehold improvement, mini-permanent, permanent, working capital and bridge loans, we’ve supported:

Achievers Early College Prep Charter School (Trenton, NJ): A $200,000 facilities-based working capital term loan to fund facility-related expenses for its second year of operations.

Friends of Hoboken Charter School (Hoboken, NJ): A $3.9 million acquisition loan to secure ownership of a building for a new state-of-the-art learning facility. Hoboken Charter School serves a high percentage of students with disabilities and low-income students in grades K–12 from the city of Hoboken and surrounding districts.

Principle Academy Charter School (Egg Harbor Township, NJ): A $400,000 facilities-based working capital term loan to finance various operating costs.

University Heights Charter School (Newark, NJ): A $750,000 facilities-based working capital term loan to finance various operating costs.

Read our report on New Jersey charter school facility financing, written in collaboration with the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. 

 

Thanks to New Jersey Community Capital’s financial backing, the Hoboken Charter School finally has the permanent home we always dreamed could be ours.

— Helen A. Cunning, former Hoboken city councilwoman and past president of the Hoboken Charter School Board

Success Stories

Unity Charter School

Unity Charter School has been recognized for its academic performance and it eco-conscious curriculum, but had quickly outgrown its building. Through a credit enhancement, NJCC provided the charter school with the financial backing it needed to secure a lease and remodel a new building for learning.

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