Understanding Finance, Facilities & Operations

The CharterSource team has experience with developing effective and sustainable operational platforms for charter schools.

Board members and leadership need to understand and ensure the organization is financially and organizationally sustainable. Whether establishing best practices or addressing an area of concern, our team provides the support systems to help your school thrive.

Oftentimes, leaders are somewhat isolated in their role. Joining a CharterSource Peer Learning Community supplemented with our webinar library can help augment the demanding responsibilities of operational oversight.

What's Included?

  • 8 Videos

  • 1 PDF

  • 6.5 Hours to Complete

  • 8 Quizes

Training Curriculum

Know What's Included

    1. Creating An Affiliated Building Company

    2. QUIZ: Creating an Affiliated Building Company

    3. Charter School Facilities: Part I

    4. QUIZ: Charter School Facilities Part I

    5. Charter School Facilities: Part II

    6. QUIZ: Charter School Facilities Part II

    7. Managing Grievances Efficiently and Effectively

    8. QUIZ: Managing Grievances Effectively and Efficiently

    9. Minnesota Case Study: Eminent Domain

    10. QUIZ: Minnesota Case Study: Eminent Domain

    11. Enhanced Data Privacy Practices

    12. QUIZ: Enhanced Data Privacy Practices

    13. Charter Funding Obstacles

    14. Quiz: Charter Funding Obstacles

    15. Overview of Student Expulsion Process in Minnesota

    16. QUIZ: Overview of Student Expulsion Process in Minnesota

    17. What Boards Should Know About Conflicts of Interest, Nepotism & Classification Issues Related to Workers

    18. QUIZ: What Boards Should Know About Conflicts of Interest, Nepotism & Classification Issues Related to Workers

    1. School Facility Space Planning Worksheet

    2. IRS 20 Factors Test

About this course

  • $500.00
  • 20 lessons
  • 7 hours of video content

What You'll Learn

Learn from our local area experts on the following topics:

Charter School Facilities (Part 1 and 2)


Learn about the basics of charter school facilities planning from budgeting, and space allocation to the actual search.

Both facilities' webinars will provide insight into finding the right location based upon your school's target audience. Learn about tools for calculating space needs and project timing. Also, understand the financial considerations of leasing vs. buying 

Our featured speaker is Tyler Baier, who has over a decade of experience and most recently served as Chief Business Officer at Bright Stars Schools Charter Network in Los Angeles, California.

 Creating An Affiliated Building Company

Learn from experts in this field regarding best practices for forming and implementing an Affiliated Building Company. Understand the statutory requirements and steps to establish a new non-profit including your long-term growth and expansion plans. Review case studies of schools that have successfully completed this process and the challenges they faced.


Managing Grievances Efficiently and Effectively

Are you certain you have safeguards in place to most effectively manage grievances from employees? Are protocols in place to navigate student grievances including specific stipulations for Special Education and Title IX? Learn from our experts, Jim Martin of Martin Law and Emily Cooley, Executive Director of Creatively Focused, and understand what boards and leadership should know regarding mitigating risk for the organization.


Minnesota Case Study: Eminent Domain 

Learn more about the journey of East Range Academy of Technology and Science in Eveleth, Minnesota. Founder and leader, Amy Hendrickson, will share the legal and stakeholder management challenges of their experience. Craig Kepler, a real estate attorney at Best & Flanagan, will deliver the legal perspective regarding eminent domain and how that impacts the Minnesota charter sector. 


Enhanced Data Privacy Practices  

As part of state-mandated training, leadership needs to understand data privacy from both state and federal guidelines. In addition to our Employment Law webinar, expand your knowledge of these important concepts.  Minnesota attorney, Jim Martin and Education Policy and Leadership expert, Karen Klinzing, will do a deep dive into enhanced data privacy practices. As a risk mitigation strategy, the board should understand the nuances of these important statutes and the school’s organizational policies and procedures. 


Charter Funding Obstacles 

Are you striving to make instructional improvements but squeezed by fund balance requirements and building covenants?  Or are you considering expansion and being challenged by facility barriers? Learn more about the current Minnesota environment and take away strategies to address these challenges in key areas: enrollment, staffing, transportation, fund balance policies, and facilities. Our expert panel from Best & Flanagan, Piper Sandler, Clifton Allen Larson, and JB Vang will provide insights on current trends and strategies.

Overview of the Student Expulsion Process in Minnesota

Jim Martin, an experienced Minnesota charter school attorney, will focus on some of the key elements you need to understand about the student expulsion process in Minnesota. Learn what role your board might play in this process. As always, consult your legal counsel to assist you with these matters.


What Boards Should Know About Conflict of Interest, Nepotism and Classification Issues Related to Workers

Minnesota attorney, Jim Martin of Martin Law Firm PLLC,  will present best practices to mitigate risk in these primary areas. This presentation will help attendees understand charter schools' obligations regarding the avoidance of conflicts of interest. Equally important is to ensure organizational compliance with nepotism and worker-related issues such as employee vs independent contractor status. 

Instructor

Director, Level Playing Field Tyler Baier

With a range of experience developing the financial and operational sustainability of charter schools, Tyler Baier is dedicated to removing operational barriers for educators so they can focus on what they do best – teaching our kids. Tyler Baier began his career in education in 2010 as an Education Pioneer fellow and spent 7 years with Bright Star Schools, a high-performing charter management organization in Los Angeles with an annual budget of over $35 million. As Chief Business Officer, Tyler led the development of the organization’s back-office team, with over 30 employees supporting schools from accounting to advancement. He also facilitated Bright Star’s growth from 2 to 7 schools, and managed the financing and development of new construction, renovation, and temporary facility solutions.

Senior Vice President, Dougherty & Company Dick Ward

Dick has 28 years of experience in bond issuance and finance as an investment banker and financial advisor. He also under wrote one of the first tax exempt bonds in the country - Community of Peace Academy. He is a regular participant in charter sector support both locally and nationally - often called upon to present for the National Federation of Municipal Analysts and Bond Buyer Seminars.

Partner, John Cairns Law, P.A. John Cairns

John has 40+ years of legal experience, specializing in educational tax exempt organizations. He was instrumental in the founding of the charter school sector. His board service experience includes: Twin Cities Citizen League, Minnesota Business Partnership and also served as the Executive Director of the Minneapolis City Council.

Instructor(s)

Executive Director, Creatively Focused Emily Cooley

Emily is the Executive Director for Creatively Focused which provides the strategies, skills, and tools to do this critical work of supporting Special education in our schools. Emily’s experience has resided in urban, suburban, and rural school settings from St. Croix River Education District, Wayzata Public Schools, and Minneapolis Academy. She has worked to improve outcomes for students in the areas of special education, unique learners, and mental health. Her key areas of expertise include multi-tiered systems of support, co-teaching, team dynamics, and systems change.

Attorney, Best & Flanagan Craig Kepler

Craig Kepler Craig Kepler is a real estate attorney with a great depth of experience in almost all phases of commercial real estate acquisition, development, leasing, and financing. A graduate of the University of Michigan and attended Wayne State University for his law degree. Craig has many years of active practice here in Minnesota. He has been a passionate advocate for and seasoned advisor to Minnesota public charter schools. Craig draws on his broad experience to advise charters on facility matters, formation and governance, charter contract matters, and other business operations matters. Craig has been the creator of numerous innovative structures for the acquisition, financing, and operation of Minnesota public charter school facilities.

Director of School Development & Leadership, CharterSource Karen Klinzing

Karen has been engaged in Minnesota charter schools from various perspectives over the last 20 years. Karen provides a school leader and organizational perspective as well as her policy and advocacy experience as a state legislator. She also served as the Assistant/Deputy Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education.

Instructor(s)

CFO-Charter Schools, Business Operations , Clifton Larson Allen Nichole Schmidt

Nichole has 17 years of experience in nonprofit and government accounting. She started her career working with charter schools at an outsourced accounting firm. She began as a staff accountant and worked her way through all the positions while learning the details involved with the way Minnesota School Districts are required to report to the state and federal government. She has spent the last 17 years learning all areas of school finance that are crucial for a school to survive the ever-changing rules and regulations brought on by the state and federal governments. Her passion is finding how to streamline processes within a charter school to function more effectively and efficiently. She has developed an expertise in long-range budget model forecasting and strategic planning and finding areas for financial improvement.

President, JBVang Kou Vang

J. Kou Vang became President of JB Vang in September of 2002. He brings a wealth of experience in finance, accounting, and investments. Before joining JB Vang he was Vice President of Commercial Lending and an Investment Advisor for Western Bank in St. Paul, MN. While at the Bank, he managed both a commercial loan portfolio and an investment portfolio. He was heavily involved in commercial real estate lending and development/construction projects. Prior to joining the Bank, Kou was President of an Asian food importer and distributor. He has held a number of other finance/accounting positions with other organizations. Kou is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a degree in Economics with a focus on financial models.

Managing Director I Public Finance Investment Banking, Piper Sandler Nick Hagen

Nick Hagen is a managing director in the public finance group at Piper Sandler. Hagen joined Piper Sandler in 2004. He has provided investment banking services to a number of governmental, nonprofit, and private borrowers. He specializes in structuring and executing tax-exempt and taxable financings for charter schools, tax increment districts, other project finance borrowers, new market tax credit structures, and state and local government issuers. He has focused primarily on charter school financing since 2008. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance and economics from the University of Minnesota.

Instructor(s)

Senior Attorney, James Martin Law Firm Jim Martin

Jim has practiced 25+ years in the areas of employment and labor law with an emphasis in the public sector. He has served as HR Director at two large Minnesota metro suburban school districts. He has experience with the Veteran’s Preference Act, student expulsion and as a Hearing Officer. He holds a JD, a Masters in Industrial Relations and is an Adjunct professor in School HR Administration at the University of Minnesota.