business plan for charter school

ZenBusinessPlans

Home » Sample Business Plans » Education » School

How to Write a Charter School Business Plan [Sample Template]

Are you about starting a charter school? If YES, here is a complete sample charter school business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE . A charter school is an independently operated public school that has greater flexibility in its mode of operation, in return for greater accountability for performance.

A charter school system is a local school district that operates under the terms of a charter between the State Board of Education and the local school district. The system receives flexibility from certain state rules and regulations in exchange for greater accountability with greater emphasis on school-based leadership and decision-making.

The basic difference between charter schools and other public schools is that charter schools are classified as public schools of choice. Furthermore, it is the practice for charter schools to be held accountable for academic results and for upholding the promises they made in their charters.

As a matter of fact, they are required to demonstrate performance in the areas of academic achievement, financial management, and organizational stability. This is so because if a charter school fails to meet the set performance goals, the school is likely going to be closed down.

A Sample Charter School Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

Charter schools offer primary- and secondary-level education funded by public sources, but are afforded more flexibility in curriculum design and implementation than traditional public schools. Charter schools receive the vast majority of their funding from federal, state and local governments, so revenue can fluctuate significantly based on budgetary decisions.

However, many charter schools are funded on a per-pupil basis, allowing schools to increase enrollment without having to worry about financial support. Recent reports released by IBISWORLD shows that over the past five years, the Charter Schools industry has grown by 9.8 percent to reach revenue of $41bn in 2018. In the same timeframe, the number of businesses has grown by 5.6 percent and the number of employees has grown by 8.8 percent.

As a result of explosive growth in charter school interest and enrollment, industry revenue is anticipated to grow at an annualized rate of 9.8 percent over the five years to 2018 to reach $40.8 billion, including a 9.2 percent increase in 2018 alone.

In the united states of America, the Charter Schools industry is indeed a large and thriving industry. Statistics has it that the industry is worth $41 billion, with an estimated growth rate of 9.8 percent annually between 2013 and 2018.

There are about 7,975 registered and licensed (accredited) charter schools scattered all around the United States of America and they are responsible for employing about 427,934 people. Aside from Los Angeles Unified School District which has the largest enrollments, no other charter school can boast of dominating the market; every player in the industry can comfortably compete in the industry.

It is important to state that the barriers to entry into the Charter Schools industry are high. As a matter of fact, the industry is pretty difficult for new entrants to establish themselves. So also, the reputation of the school is of utmost importance, as charter schools that have a good history of getting students into prestigious colleges often have the best reputations hence good enrollments.

Reputation indeed is imperative to parents’ decisions when shopping for charter school for their wards. This is so because the quality of education cannot be assessed until after it is complete. As a major marketing tool, schools need to show parents a track record of admission to elite colleges and universities.

Even though this might seem like a highly competitive industry, the industry is still pretty much open for aspiring school proprietors to still come in and compete. As a matter of fact, if you conduct your research and feasibility studies very well before starting your own charter school, coupled with impressive profile of your faculty members, you are likely going to struggle less to make headway in the industry.

2. Executive Summary

Saint Paul® Community Charter School is a standard co – education charter school that will be located in a well – populated residential estate in Saint Paul – Minnesota, United States of America. We are a standard charter school that is composed of primary (kindergarten through sixth grade) and secondary (seventh through 12th grade) educational institution that will be predominantly co – funded by government and through tuition fees and levies from students and of course from other private sources.

Saint Paul® Community Charter School is a client-focused and result driven charter school that provides broad-based learning approaches and experience at an affordable fee that won’t in any way put a hole in the pocket of our clients (students and parents alike).

We will offer professional teaching services in a highly secured and conducive learning environment to all our students that is primary (kindergarten through sixth grade) and secondary (seventh through 12th grade). We will ensure that we work hard to meet and surpass all our students’ expectations and educational goals whenever they enroll in our charter school.

At Saint Paul® Community Charter School, our students’ overall best interest would always come first, and everything we do will be guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hire professional educationist cum teachers in various subjects who are well experienced and passionate in imparting knowledge to students at various learning ladder.

Saint Paul® Community Charter School will at all times demonstrate her commitment to sustainability, both individually and as an educational organization, by actively participating in our communities and integrating sustainable business practices wherever possible. We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our students’ needs precisely and completely.

We have plans in future to also offer learning platforms to people with both learning disability and physical disability (especially the blind, the dumb and the deaf). Our overall business goal is to position our charter school to become the leading special public school brand in the educational industry in the whole of Saint Paul – Minnesota, and also to be amongst the top 10 charter schools in the whole of the United States of America within the first 20 years of operation.

This might look too tall a dream but we are optimistic that this will surely come to pass because we have done our research and feasibility studies and we are enthusiastic and confident that Saint Paul is the right place to launch our charter school.

Saint Paul® Community Charter School is founded by Dr. (Mrs.) Becky Steve – Carson. She is an educationist per excellence and she has won many award in the education sector in the United States. Dr. (Mrs.) Becky Steve – Carson has both academic qualifications and experience to run a charter school that can favorably compete with other leading charter schools.

3. Our Products and Services

Saint Paul® Community Charter School is going to offer varieties of educational services within the United States of America. Our intention of starting our charter school is to soundly educate people in various subjects and of course to make profits from the education industry and we will do all that is permitted by the law in the US to achieve our aim and business goal.

Our service offerings are listed below;

• Teaching basic literacy and numeracy
• Establishing foundations in science, mathematics, geography, history and other social sciences
• Constantly working hard to meet regulatory accreditation standards
• Administering public – private funding efforts
• Providing access to extracurricular activities
• Retailing of Educational Books and Materials

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to build a highly competitive charter school that will become the number one choice for both parents and students in the whole of Saint Paul – Minnesota.
• Our mission is to provide professional and conducive learning environment to students at different levels of learning.
• Our overall business goal is to position Saint Paul® Community Charter School to become the leading charter school in the educational cum charter school industry in the whole of Saint Paul – Minnesota, and also to be amongst the top 10 charter schools in the United States of America within the first 20 years of operation.

Our Business Structure

It is a known fact that the success of any business is to a larger extent is dependent on the business structure of the organization and the people who occupy the available roles in the organization. Saint Paul® Community Charter School will build a solid business structure that can support the growth of our charter school. We will ensure that we hire competent hands to help us build the charter school of our dream.

The fact that we want to become one of the leading charter schools in the industry in the whole of the United States of America makes it necessary for our organization to deliberately build a well – structured business from the onset. Below is the business structure that we will build Saint Paul® Community Charter School;

• Head of The Charter school (School Proprietress)

School Administrator

Tutors for Various Subjects – Secondary (seventh through 12th grade)

Tutors for Various Subjects – Primary (kindergarten through sixth grade)

• Accountant / Bursar
• Client Service Executive / Front Desk Officer

Security Officers

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Head of the Charter school/School Coordinator:

• Responsible for providing direction for the college
• Responsible for fixing fees and signing business deals (partnership)
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the charter school
• Coordinates all arms of the charter school
• Evaluates the success of the charter school
• Reports to the board of the charter school
• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the charter school
• Designs job descriptions with KPI to drive performance management for tutors (teachers)
• Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders
• Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
• Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carries out induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
• Oversees the smooth running of the daily activities of the charter school.
• Effectively teach subject/subjects as assigned by the school administrator
• Accesses the progress of students under their care
• Ensures that students abide by the rules and regulations of the charter school
• Contributes his / her quota towards growing the charter school
• Receives complaints from parents and channel it to the appropriate quarters
• Handles any other duty as assigned by the school administrator.
• Effectively teaches subject / subjects as assigned by the school administrator
• Teaches basic literacy and numeracy
• Establishes foundations in science, mathematics, geography, history and other social sciences
• Ensures that students abide by the rules and regulations of the school administrator
• Contributes his/her quota towards growing the charter school

Marketing Executive

• Identifies, prioritizes, and reaches out to new students, and business opportunities et al
• Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts
• Documents all customer contact and information
• Represents the company in strategic meetings
• Helps to increase growth for the school

School Bursar (Accountant)

• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensuring compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for Saint Paul® Community Charter School
• Serves as internal auditor for Saint Paul® Community Charter School

Client Service Executive

• Welcomes/receive parents and students by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
• Ensures that all contacts with parents and students (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the parents and students with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with parents and students on the phone, uses every opportunity to build parent’s interest in the schools’ products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the HR and Admin Manager in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to parents and students when they make enquiries
• Receives parcels / documents for Saint Paul® Community Charter School
• Distributes mails in the organization
• Handles any other duties as assigned by the School Administrator.
• Responsible for cleaning the school facility at all times
• Ensures that toiletries and supplies don’t run out of stock
• Handles any other duty as assigned by the school administrator
• Ensures that the school facility is secured at all times
• Controls traffic and organize parking
• Patrols the building on a 24 hours’ basis
• Submits security reports weekly
• Any other duty as assigned by the school administrator.

6. SWOT Analysis

Saint Paul® Community Charter School engaged the services of a core professional in the area of business consulting and structuring with bias in the education sector to assist us in building a well – structured charter school that can favorably compete in the highly competitive education industry in the United States.

Part of what the team of business consultant did was to work with the management of our organization in conducting a SWOT analysis for Saint Paul® Community Charter School. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Saint Paul® Community Charter School;

As a charter school, our core strength lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team with excellent qualifications and experience in the educational sector. We are well positioned in a community with the right demography and we know we will attract loads of students from the first day we open our doors and welcome students for enrollment.

As a new charter school in Saint Paul – Minnesota, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and gain acceptance via reputation in the already saturated education cum charter schools industry; that is perhaps our major weakness.

• Opportunities:

The opportunities in the education cum charter schools industry is massive considering the number of parents who would want their wards to perform excellently in their education and go ahead to be admitted in Ivy league colleges. As a standard charter school, Saint Paul® Community Charter School is ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes her way.

Some of the threats that we are likely going to face as a charter school operating in the United States of America are unfavorable government policies that might affect charter schools, the arrival of a competitor within our location of operation and global economic downturn which usually affects spending / purchasing power.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

The trend in the charter school line of business is that the keys to attracting students is the educational performance and the pass rate of their students in national exams. Any charter school that has good records will always thrive. The demand for charter schools are driven by the fact that most public cum government owned schools cannot accommodate every students or potential students in a given geographical location.

In some cases, students with special needs cannot cope in public schools hence the need for charter schools. Private schooling offers an alternative for households with higher income, as these institutions often come with a high price tag.

Rising household income levels increase enrollment in private schools, potentially hampering enrollment in charter schools. In 2018, the number of households earning more than $100,000 is expected to increase, representing a potential threat to the industry.

Charter schools are overwhelmingly located in urban areas. Over one-half of all charter school students reside in urban environments, compared with less than one-third of students at traditional public schools. Growth in the percentage of the overall population living in urban areas increase demand for charter schools. The US urban population is expected to increase in 2018, representing a potential opportunity for the industry.

The economic downturn hasn’t really affected this industry, especially in countries that believe in the efficacy of education. The areas you would need to spend heavily on is in ensuring that your school is up to standard, your advertisements, and on insurance policy cover.

Lastly, it is trendier to find charter schools engaging in extra – curricular activities and as a matter of fact, a charter school that thrives in sports can leverage on that to attract students who are sports inclined.

8. Our Target Market

As a standard charter school, Saint Paul® Community Charter School is going to offer varieties of educational services. Our intention of starting our charter school is to soundly educate people in various subjects and of course to make profits from the industry

Our target market as a charter school cuts across people of different class and cultural background whether African, White, Caucasian, Latinos, Indians, and Asians. We will work with the students at different learning stages residing in and around Saint Paul – Minnesota.

Our competitive advantage

Indeed, the charter schools industry is highly competitive and the entry barriers are high. As a matter of fact, it is pretty difficult for new entrants to establish themselves. So also, the reputation of the charter school is of utmost importance, as charter schools that have a good history of getting students into prestigious colleges often have the best reputations hence good enrollments.

With this, it is obvious that a new entrant in to the charter school industry cannot offer this. Reputation indeed is imperative to parents’ decisions when shopping for charter schools for their wards because the quality of education cannot be assessed until after it is complete. As a major marketing tool, schools need to show parents a track record of admission to elite colleges and universities.

We are quite aware that to be highly competitive in the education cum charter schools industry means that you should be able to deliver consistent quality service, your students should be able to experience remarkable difference and improvement and you should be able to meet the expectations of both students and parents alike.

Saint Paul® Community Charter School might be a new entrant into the education cum charter schools industry in the United States of America, but the management staff of the charter school are licensed and highly qualified educationists/teachers at various levels of learning in the United States. These are part of what will count as a competitive advantage for us.

Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category in the industry meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our business aims and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Saint Paul® Community Charter School is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the education cum charter schools industry and we are going to go all the way to ensure that we do all it takes to attract students on a regular basis.

Saint Paul® Community Charter School will generate income by offering the following tutorial services;

• Teaching High school students various subjects in our charter school
• Administering private funding efforts

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain, there would always be parents and students who would need the services of charter schools, and as such the services of charter schools will always be needed.

We are positioned to take on the available market in Saint Paul – Minnesota and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income/profits from the first six months of operation and grow the charter school and our student base.

We have been able to examine the charter school market in the United States of America, we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. Below is the sales projection for Saint Paul® Community Charter School, it is based on the location of our tutorial center and of course the wide range of educational cum learning services that we will be offering;

• First Fiscal Year: $250,000
• Second Fiscal Year: $450,000
• Third Fiscal Year: $750,000

N.B : This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown within the period stated above. Also, there won’t be any major competitor offering same services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

We are mindful of the fact that there are stiff competitions amongst charter schools in the United States of America; hence we have been able to hire some of the best marketing experts to handle our sales and marketing concerns.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited base on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to meet their targets and the overall goal of the charter school. We will also ensure that our students’ excellent results from national exams and other exams speak for us in the market place.

Our goal is to grow our charter school to become one of the top 10 charter schools in the United States of America which is why we have mapped out strategies that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with not only in Saint Paul – Minnesota but also in other cities in the United States of America.

Saint Paul® Community Charter School is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;

• Introduce our charter school by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to schools, parents/households and key stake holders in Saint Paul – Minnesota.
• Print out fliers and business cards and strategically drop them in schools, libraries and even student organizations.
• Creating a website allows parents to be able to look you up, and also allows you to post general study tips, giving you an added advantage.
• Use friends and family to spread word about your charter school
• Introduce Saint Paul® Community Charter School to learning specialists, school coaches, school administrators, teachers, guidance counselors especially as they are with students everyday
• Post information about Saint Paul® Community Charter School on bulletin boards in places like schools, libraries, and local coffee shops.
• Place a small or classified advertisement in the newspaper, or local publication about Saint Paul® Community Charter School
• Use tutorial referral networks such as agencies that will help match students with Saint Paul® Community Charter School
• Join relevant association or body that will enable you network and meet others in same industry.
• Advertise online by using an advertising platform such as Google AdWords, that will allow us place text advertisements alongside on websites with related contents, and along results from search engines.
• Advertise our charter school in relevant educational magazines, newspapers, TV and radio stations.
• Engage direct marketing approach
• Encourage word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

We are aware of the potency of a good publicity strategy hence we have been able to work with our brand and publicity consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market.

We are set to become the number one choice for both parents and students in the whole of Saint Paul – Minnesota which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our charter school. Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Saint Paul® Community Charter School;

• Place adverts on both print (community based newspapers and educational magazines) and electronic media platforms
• Sponsor relevant community based events / programs
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook, twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our brand
• Install our billboards in strategic locations all around Saint Paul – Minnesota.
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas in and around Saint Paul – Minnesota
• Passing general information via our school’s social media handles like twitter, Facebook, Google hangouts etc.
• Ensure that all our teaching and non – teaching staff wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles are well branded with our schools’ logo et al.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Charter schools in the United States of America charge students per term/per session and students have the options of either paying their tuitions before resumption or during the school session. Charter schools generally charge students based on loads of factors such as service offerings and extra – curricular activities et al.

At Saint Paul® Community Charter School, we will keep our fees below the average market rate. In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to all our students at regular intervals. We are aware that there are some students that would need special assistance, we will offer flat rate for such services that will be tailored to take care of such students’ needs.

• Payment Options

The payment policy adopted by Bob Russel & Co® Motivational Speaking Company, LLP is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.

Here are the payment options that Bob Russel & Co® Motivational Speaking Company, LLP will make available to her clients;

• Payment via bank transfer
• Payment with cash
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via mobile money
• Payment via check

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our client make payment for services rendered without any stress on their part. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials to clients.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

In setting up a charter school business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake. If you intend to go big by acquiring a large facility, then you would need a higher amount of capital as you need to ensure that your employees are taken care of, and that your charter school’s environment is conducive enough for the students to learn.

The materials and equipment that will be used are nearly the same cost everywhere, and any difference in prices would be minimal and can be overlooked. However, this is what it would cost us to start Saint Paul® Community Charter School in the United of America;

• Business incorporating fees in the United States of America will cost – $750.
• The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license will cost – $3,500
• Acquiring a large facility that will accommodate the number of clases, playing field, staff offices and parking lots et al (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) will cost – $350,000.
• Equipping the classes and office (computers, printers, projectors, markers, pens and pencils, furniture, telephones, filing cabinets, and electronics) will cost – $50,000
• Launching an official website will cost – $500
• The budget for the payment of salaries for the first three months of operations: $120,000
• Additional Expenditure such as Running cost, Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions will cost – $45,000

Going by the market survey and feasibility studies conducted, we came to the conclusion that we will need an average of $750,000 to start a small scale but standard charter school in the United States of America.

Generating Funds/Startup Capital for Saint Paul® Community Charter School

Saint Paul® Community Charter School will be owned and managed by Dr. (Mrs.) Becky Steve – Carson. She decided to restrict the sourcing of the startup capital for the charter school to just three major sources.

• Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings and sale of stocks
• Generate part of the startup capital from government, friends and other extended family members
• Generate a larger chunk of the startup capital from the bank (loan facility).

N.B: We have been able to generate about $250,000 ( Personal savings $200,000 and soft loan from family members $50,000 ) and we are at the final stages of securing $200,000 education grant from the Government an also obtaining a loan facility of $300,000 from our bank. All the papers and documents have been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

It is a known fact that the future of any business lies in the number of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of their employees, their investment strategy and of course business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business, then it won’t be too long before the business closes shop.

One of our major goals of starting Saint Paul® Community Charter School is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running. We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to ensure that we offer nothing less than the best to all our students so much so that they can favorably compete and gain admission into Ivy League colleges.

Saint Paul® Community Charter School will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and re – training of our workforce is at the top burner of our business strategy.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more as determined by the board of the organization. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List/Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check:>Completed
• Business Incorporation: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Securing a standard facility large enough to accommodate our design: Completed
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Generating part of the startup capital from the founders: Completed
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
• Design of The Schools’ Logo: Completed
• Printing of Promotional Materials: Completed
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
• Creating Official Website for the school: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the charter school in Saint Paul – Minnesota: In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with vendors and key players in the education industry: In Progress

More on School

How to Start a Charter School: A Comprehensive Guide

Charter schools have gained significant traction in recent years, offering an alternative to traditional public schools where organizations monitor school quality and hold them accountable for academic results. The reason for this shift is likely because these institutions promise innovative educational approaches, more autonomy in curriculum design, and the potential to cater to specific student needs.

However, starting a charter school is no small feat. It requires passion, dedication, and a clear understanding of the challenges these institutions face. Whether it’s funding, regulatory compliance, or establishing a robust educational framework, founders must navigate a complex process to start a charter school.

Understanding Charter Schools

Since the mid-2000s, there's been a clear trend charter schools are on the rise. Specifically, from the 2005-2006 school year, the numbers tell a different story for the educational industry. The count of charter schools and campuses has more than doubled .

What's driving this growth? A tripled enrollment rate which means three times as many students are choosing charter schools now.

There are many reasons why enrollment is growing, but overall, the main difference when compared to traditional institutions is that here it's all about finding the right fit for the student . These schools have the leeway to push the boundaries, whether that's through a STEM-heavy curriculum, dual-language programs, or arts integration. 

They're meeting kids where they are, tapping into their interests, and, ideally, setting them up for success in a way that's just not possible in a one-size-fits-all classroom.

Charter Schools vs Traditional Schools

In the changing industry of American education, charter schools present themselves as a unique and dynamic alternative to traditional public schools. These institutions redefine the educational experience, providing a fresh perspective on student engagement, curriculum, and school culture.

Flexibility

The key differences between charter schools and traditional public schools are rooted in flexibility, accountability, and choice. Charter schools operate with a level of autonomy that traditional public schools don't have, especially when it comes to curriculum design and educational approaches. 

They're free to innovate and are often established with a specific focus or educational philosophy in mind, which can range from STEM to the arts, from language immersion to environmental sustainability.

On the other hand, while traditional schools are typically managed by school districts, charter schools are overseen by independent boards or organizations. This structure allows for quicker decision-making and responsiveness to student needs. 

Charter schools are not restricted by local catchment areas, meaning they can attract a diverse student body from across different neighborhoods.

Funding Models

Funding models also set charter schools apart. While both charter and traditional schools receive state funding, charters often supplement this with grants and private donations. This can lead to disparities in resources but also encourages a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within the charter school community.

Charter school success stories and statistics.

The real-life impact of charter schools is best understood through the voices of their students. A graduate from Breakthrough Public Schools in Ohio shares her experience , stating, " Since the 5th grade, I’ve dreamed of attending Columbia University in New York City. Fast forward to today, I am a first-generation college graduate of Columbia, in part because I attended Breakthrough Public Schools. ”

Charles from Seminole Heights Charter High School gives an honest insight into his educational experience " You can go at your own pace and graduate. Fast. " He was surprised by the pace at which he could progress, saying, “ I didn’t know I could graduate this fast. Here, you can actually work at your own pace and earn your credits quicker. It’s cool. I'm not tied to the pace of a class. I can go at my own speed, whether I need to move ahead or take some extra time to work it out. ”

Charles also values the immediate support available at his school, contrasting it with online learning “ Online, you have a phone number or email. Here, the teacher is in the room with you. It's a huge perk. ”

The growth of charter schools is not just anecdotal; it's reflected in the data. According to the National Center for Education Statistics , over the past decade, public charter school enrollment more than doubled , from 1.8 million to 3.7 million students. During the same period, traditional public schools saw a decrease in student numbers by approximately 4 percent, or 2.0 million students, from 47.4 million to 45.4 million.

This shift shows us a significant movement towards charter schools, suggesting that many families are seeking alternatives to traditional public education that can offer a more personalized learning experience and better opportunities to access college.

Navigating Legal and Regulatory Requirements

The creation of a charter school it's a process that demands not only a vision for a new kind of learning environment. Launching a charter school requires a strategic approach to legal planning, ensuring that the school's framework is robust and compliant with educational statutes. 

This legal groundwork is as critical as the educational mission that will define the school's identity.

Confirming Charter School Legitimacy in Your State

To begin this legal journey, the first step is to determine the legality of charter schools in your state. While the charter school movement has expanded across most of the United States, each state has its own distinct statutes that govern its operation.

Before embarking on their journey, aspiring founders should seek guidance from the Department of Education to gain a thorough understanding of the legal framework governing their institution. This involves identifying the specific requirements for charter school applications, grasping the intricacies of state funding, and recognizing the accountability standards set forth by state education departments.

Step-by-Step Legal and Regulatory Foundations

Once you've confirmed that charter schools have a green light in your state, the next phase involves a deep dive into the legal and regulatory steps.

This includes drafting a charter petition that is both compelling and compliant, detailing your school's mission, curriculum, financial projections, and accountability systems. This charter serves as a contract with your authorizer and sets the stage for your school's operational and educational framework.

Acquiring Essential Permits and Approvals

The journey continues with the acquisition of various permits, licenses, and official approvals . This stage may involve navigating through local zoning laws for your school's location, obtaining health and safety certifications, and securing the educational operation licenses that are pivotal for your school's doors to open. Each of these steps is a critical milestone on the road to launching your charter school.

The Education Commission of the States offers a 50-state comparison of charter school policies, which can serve as an invaluable guide through the complex regulations that vary from state to state

Understanding Authorizers and Their Approval Criteria

The legal process is engaging with the authorizers—those gatekeepers who grant charter schools the right to operate. Authorizers can be universities, government entities, or non-profit organizations, each with its own set of standards and expectations. 

Founders must be familiar with the authorizer's approval criteria, which often include rigorous academic objectives, financial and organizational stability, and demonstrable community support.

Creating a Business Plan

A robust business plan is the cornerstone of a charter school's foundation, serving as a comprehensive financial blueprint. At Charter School Development Corporation, we recognize the importance of a meticulously crafted budget that includes not just the initial costs but also the strategic fiscal planning for sustainable operations. And we are here to help you navigate that process with confidence and determination.

Developing a Detailed Budget

The budget of your charter school is the financial manifestation of your educational vision. It must consider all aspects, including setup costs, operational expenses, and contingencies, to provide a comprehensive financial plan. 

CSDC, as an ally to charter schools, provides financing services for the acquisition, development, construction, renovation, or expansion of educational facilities, ensuring that your budget is both compelling and actionable.

Formulating a Sustainability Plan

A sustainability plan for a charter school is a blueprint for enduring success, focusing on financial stability and educational quality. It should detail strategies for diversifying funding sources, such as grants, partnerships, and fundraising initiatives, to ensure a steady stream of income that supports the school's mission. 

Additionally, the plan must prioritize academic achievement through ongoing curriculum refinement and professional development, ensuring the school's educational offerings remain competitive.

Operational resilience is also a key component, with procedures and policies designed for efficiency and adaptability. This includes leveraging technology for educational and administrative purposes and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Building the Curriculum and Programs

The curriculum is the academic heartbeat of a charter school, and the programs offered are its lifeblood. They should be a reflection of the school's mission and the innovative spirit of the charter movement. CSDC supports the development of educational facilities that enable the delivery of a curriculum and programs designed for excellence.

Designing a Curriculum That Reflects Your Mission

The foundation of a charter school lies in its curriculum, which should be a direct reflection of its core mission and values. And founders have the unique opportunity to craft a curriculum that breaks away from traditional models and instead, caters to the specific needs and aspirations of their student body.

 Whether focusing on STEM, the arts, or holistic education, the curriculum should embody the school's vision and serve as a roadmap for both teachers and students to achieve educational excellence.

Implementing Innovative Educational Programs

Innovation is at the heart of the functioning of charter schools. As a founder, you have the autonomy to implement educational programs that push the boundaries of conventional teaching. This could involve integrating technology into everyday learning, applying project-based approaches, or adopting cross-disciplinary methods. 

The key is to design programs that not only resonate with your educational philosophy but also equip students with the skills and knowledge needed for a rapidly evolving world.

Incorporating Extracurricular and Community Engagement

The educational journey extends beyond the classroom. As a founder, it's important to cultivate an environment where students can explore their interests and talents through a variety of extracurricular activities. 

This might involve partnerships with local organizations, the development of after-school clubs, or the integration of community service into the curriculum. Such initiatives not only enhance the educational experience but also encourage students to become active, engaged members of their community.

Hiring and Training Staff

The faculty and staff are the backbone of any educational institution, and this is especially true for charter schools, where the innovative mission and specialized curriculum require a dedicated and dynamic team.

 Outlining Necessary Roles and Responsibilities

• Begin with a strategic plan to identify core positions that are essential to the school's operation and mission.
• Craft detailed job descriptions that convey the responsibilities and expectations for each role, ensuring clarity and alignment with the school's objectives.
• Set forth the qualifications for each position, which should align with state standards and the specific needs of the school.

Recruiting Qualified Educators and Administrative Staff

• Utilize educational networks, job fairs, and digital platforms to connect with potential candidates.
• Conduct a rigorous selection process that includes interviews, practical demonstrations for teaching roles, and thorough reference checks.
• Prioritize mission alignment in your hiring process, seeking candidates who share the school's vision and values.

Providing Ongoing Training and Professional Development Opportunities

• Commit to the continuous professional development of staff through workshops, seminars, and educational conferences.
• Offer in-house training programs tailored to the school's specific educational approach and curriculum needs.
• Implement regular performance evaluations to provide feedback and identify professional development needs, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence.

By meticulously planning the hiring process and investing in the ongoing development of your staff, your charter school can ensure a team that is not only skilled and knowledgeable but also passionate about delivering high-quality, mission-driven education.

Securing the Right Facility and Resources

Launching a charter school is akin to setting up a new business venture. The location, infrastructure, and resources play an important role in determining its success. The right facility not only provides a conducive environment for learning but also sets the tone for the school's mission and culture that will educate students.

Choosing the Right Location

The location of your charter school can make or break its success. It's not just about the physical address but also about its accessibility, safety, and proximity to the community it serves . A strategic location ensures that students can easily commute, and parents feel confident about the safety and well-being of their children.

Moreover, the surrounding community plays a significant role in shaping the school's culture and values. Therefore, it's essential to choose a location that aligns with the school's mission and vision.

Designing a Conducive Learning Environment

Once the location is decided, the next step is to design a learning environment that fosters creativity, collaboration, and innovation. This involves creating classrooms that are flexible and can adapt to different teaching methodologies.

The infrastructure should also promote inclusivity, ensuring that students with special needs are not left behind. Safety is paramount, so the facility should adhere to all regulatory standards and provide a secure environment for students and staff.

Acquiring Essential Resources

Finding and developing the right space for a charter school is a critical step that we at the Charter School Development Corporation navigate with precision and care. Our lease-to-own model is designed to alleviate the initial financial burden, allowing schools to channel their resources into what truly matters—education and student growth.

We understand that each charter school has a unique vision, which is why our Turnkey Development Program is customized to align with your school's specific educational model and budget. From the drawing board to the day you open your doors, we're there to ensure that every square foot of your facility is optimized for learning.

As your school grows, we can provide the necessary oversight for expansion projects, handling everything from design to construction. Our real estate services are crafted to let you focus on educational excellence while we manage the complexities of scaling your infrastructure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have more questions on  how to start a charter school? We have answers!

Are Charter Schools tuition-free for students?

Yes, Charter Schools are tuition-free for students. They are publicly funded schools, which means that students can attend without having to pay tuition fees. Charter Schools are funded by state and local governments and operate independently. Charter Schools have the autonomy to implement innovative educational approaches, respond to community needs and put student learning first.

Can anyone start a charter school, or are there specific qualifications required?

While anyone can have the desire to start a charter school, specific qualifications and requirements may vary depending on the state where you plan to establish the school. Generally, individuals or groups interested in starting a charter school should have a strong educational vision, organizational skills, and a passion for education. Additionally, familiarity with education laws and regulations in your state is beneficial. Visit your state’s Department of Education Website or Charter School Association to learn more.

What are the best states to open a charter school?

The ideal state to open a charter school can depend on various factors, including the state's charter school laws, funding opportunities, demand for alternative educational options, and the level of support from local communities and educational authorities. While some states have more favorable charter school regulations and funding mechanisms, it's essential to conduct thorough research and assess the specific needs and goals of the charter school initiative before determining the best state to open a charter school. As of 2023, 46 states and the District of Columbia had legislative approval for public charter schools. The District of Columbia had the highest percentage of public school students enrolled in charter schools at (45%), followed by Arizona at 20 percent. Other states with significant charter school enrollments included Colorado, Nevada, Florida, Louisiana, Delaware, California, Utah, and Michigan. (Source: National Center for Education Statistics).

What is the role of parents and the community in establishing a charter school?

Parents and the community play a crucial role in establishing a charter school. They are often the driving force behind the creation of the school, advocating for educational alternatives and better options for their children. Parent and community involvement in the planning process helps ensure that the charter school's mission aligns with the needs of the students and the local community.

How long does it typically take to launch a charter school from start to finish?

The timeline for launching a charter school can vary depending on several factors, including the state’s regulatory processes, the availability of resources, and the complexity of the school's mission and programs. On average, the process may take anywhere from one to three years once your Charter School has been authorized . This timeline includes conducting research, developing a comprehensive plan, securing funding, obtaining necessary approvals, and preparing for the school's official opening.

Additional Resources

Explore these handpicked resources to learn more about charter schools: ‍ ‍ U.S. Department of Education ‍ North Carolina Department of Public Instruction ‍ Charter Schools and the Achievement Gap - Future of Children ‍ A Study of the Effects of Charter Schools on Student Achievement, Attendance, and Selected Mitigating Factors in a Midwestern State’s Midsize Urban School Districts ‍ Charter Schools After Three Decades: Reviewing the Research on School Organizational and Instructional Conditions ‍ Charter Schools: An Alternative Option in American Schooling ‍ For further reading, consider "Charter Schools and Their Enemies" by Thomas Sowell and "The Founders" by Richard Whitmire.

Now You Know How to Start a Charter School

As you stand on the brink of making a significant impact on the educational industry, remember that this guide is a starting point. The real journey begins with action. We encourage you to take the next step, armed with the knowledge you've gained and the resources at your disposal. For personalized guidance and to discuss the specifics of your charter school vision, don't hesitate to get in touch with our team. Together, we can transform your educational aspirations into reality.

Charter Schools Development Corporation (CSDC) supports quality school choice for underserved students by developing and financing affordable charter school facilities.

In accordance with federal laws and U.S. Department of the Treasury policy, this organization is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to: U.S. Department of the Treasury, Director, Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20220; call (202) 622-1160; or send an e-mail to: [email protected] .

How to Start a Charter School

A charter school is like an independent school, but it is publicly-funded. They are attractive to educators and parents because they offer a bit more freedom than traditional public schools while still being accountable for producing good results from students and stable financial management from the school itself. Charter schools are an attractive feature in many communities because they give parents and students more of a choice regarding where the students go to school.

Learn how to start your own Charter School and whether it is the right fit for you.

Ready to form your LLC? Check out the Top LLC Formation Services .

Start a charter school by following these 10 steps:

• Plan your Charter School
• Form your Charter School into a Legal Entity
• Register your Charter School for Taxes
• Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
• Set up Accounting for your Charter School
• Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Charter School
• Get Charter School Insurance
• Define your Charter School Brand
• Create your Charter School Website
• Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your charter school. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas .

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

What will you name your business?

• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?

How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Charter School Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship , you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name , we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability .

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

Want some help naming your charter school?

Business name generator, what are the costs involved in opening a charter school.

The exact cost of opening a charter school can vary significantly based on the cost of the land, the size of the complex, and the number of students and teachers. For instance, if you anticipate 140 students, you may need a building as large as 20,000 feet. Getting an architect to design such a structure from the ground up may cost as much as two million dollars. A small staff comprised of seven standard teachers, one special education teacher, three teacher's aides, a librarian, and a principal will cost a little over $700,000 per year depending on their salaries. Buying a stock of medical supplies, hardware supplies, toiletries, and various odds and ends may cost as high as $20,000. Stocking a small library with 20,000 books may cost nearly $120,000, and getting the relevant shelving you'll need may cost $5,000. Purchasing computers for the school can cost over $37,000, and furniture (ranging from the standard desks and tables to examination tables and gym wall pads) can easily cost $25,000. Larger appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, and food bars will cost $13,000 or more.

What are the ongoing expenses for a charter school?

Your primary ongoing expenses include your monthly loan payment for the school, your teacher's salaries (using our staff estimates above, you would be paying about $60,714 a month), supply costs (whose cost will vary based on needs, but are likely to be $2,000 a month or more), and utilities (which will also be about $2,000 a month or more).

Who is the target market?

While almost anyone can make a great charter school student, the target market is typically upper-middle class or wealthy parents who want to offer their child the best preparation possible for higher education.

How does a charter school make money?

The bulk of the money that a charter school makes comes from the public funds of their state. The school may also receive grants, subsidies, and access to various federal programs. In terms of profit, the executives overseeing charter schools receive a portion of money per student enrolled. Note that your charter school must abide by state laws which can dictate whether your business can legally be for-profit or if it must be a non-profit, although the latter can still yield substantial income.

Charter schools do not follow an exact customer/provider model. For the students, the charter school is free. However, the school is funded by both the district and the state on a per-pupil model. Your area may vary, but nationally, charter schools are paid $7,131 per pupil.

How much profit can a charter school make?

The exact amount of profit you can make depends ultimately on the number of students, how much you receive per student, and any money that might come from charitable donations and wealthy patrons. Overall, though, for-profit education is a market valued at over $1.3 trillion. Combined with the growth of charter schools themselves and their support from the latest Secretary of Education, this venture may prove quite profitable.

How can you make your business more profitable?

One of the downsides to income per pupil being determined by districts and states is that it makes it difficult to increase profits. There are essentially two avenues to become more profitable: expanding the school or securing more donations from parents and various wealthy patrons. The first option will require significant investment, but will ultimately increase the number of students your school serves, thereby increasing your profit. For the second option of soliciting donations, if you have the budget, it may be worth hiring an individual or team whose primary job is securing donations, grants, and other types of funding for your school.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC's free Small Business Startup Guide - a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship , partnership , limited liability company (LLC) , and corporation .

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your charter school is sued.

Form Your LLC

Read our Guide to Form Your Own LLC

Have a Professional Service Form your LLC for You

Two such reliable services:

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

Recommended: You will need to elect a registered agent for your LLC. LLC formation packages usually include a free year of registered agent services . You can choose to hire a registered agent or act as your own.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website . If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil .

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history , which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a charter school business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits .

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses .

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance . This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance . If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

FInd out what types of insurance your Charter School needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Charter School.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners , we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended : Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker .

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator . Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a charter school

Marketing a charter school is a little more nuanced than marketing a traditional product. Typically, it involves using a mixture of traditional advertising (via newspaper, radio, and television ads) and social media (such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). In simple terms, the traditional advertisement helps to reach the parents while the social media advertising helps to create a friendly online presence for students to relate to.

How to keep customers coming back

Because your charter school can only accommodate so many students, your advertising should play up that the school is state-of-the-art, boasts a great teacher/student ratio, and that it offers electives and other opportunities the community cannot find anywhere else. After school has started, form a team of ambassadors that can help to represent your school at various community events and spread positive word of mouth. Finally, keep solid records of the achievements of your past students (in terms of college admissions, jobs, and other metrics of your choice) and integrate this into your advertisement, as there is nothing more persuasive than a good success story.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business .

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

• All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
• Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
• Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended : Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders .

Other popular website builders are: WordPress , WIX , Weebly , Squarespace , and Shopify .

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it's fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

This business is perfect for someone with previous experience in public education. Those who have been teachers, principals, or other administrators in a public school are often able to take what they learned from previous experiences in order to help their charter school thrive.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a charter school?

The daily activities of a charter school are very similar to the daily activities of a traditional public school. Teachers spend their days preparing for classes, attending meetings, teaching classes, and taking care of any after-school activities. Administrators help coordinate with teachers, the board of directors, and other relevant individuals and agencies that help promote the school's success.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful charter school?

As mentioned before, any prior experience as a public school educator or administrator is invaluable for this role. To this end, a formal degree in education or a related field is very helpful, as is any networking experience that you may have within your community. Many of the biggest charter schools thrive on donations from wealthy patrons, and your ability to tap into an existing network for potential funding can help your school succeed much more quickly.

What is the growth potential for a charter school?

The growth potential of charter schools is very steady, having risen from four to seven percent between 2004 and 2014.

TRUiC's YouTube Channel

For fun informative videos about starting a business visit the TRUiC YouTube Channel or subscribe to view later.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor.

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a charter school?

One of the best things to do before opening a charter school is to listen to comments parents have been making about the local schools. This lets you learn from others' mistakes and ensure that your school offers an experience the community is otherwise lacking. Make sure not to create a bigger school than you truly want: for many private schools, the small classrooms are considered a very attractive feature because students get more time with teachers, and a really crowded campus can undercut that benefit.

How and when to build a team

Unlike small businesses, a charter school must have a solid team of teachers, aides, administrators, and librarians from the very beginning.

Useful Links

Further reading.

• Profile on a successful business
• Helpful resources
• Tips for starting this business

Have a Question? Leave a Comment!

Know What You Need to Know to Start a New Charter School

Every year, new charter schools across the country are started by teachers, community leaders, and education advocates with a vision to make high-quality educational options available to all families. There are many things to consider on this journey for your new charter school, including the application process, student recruitment, facility acquisition, authorizer relations, and financing and funding.

We’ll walk you through key items to plan for on the road to opening your new charter school.

Support Programs & Fellowships

There are fellowship programs available that can support the process of founding a new charter school. While not required to be able to start a school, these programs are worth looking into as they provide key financial support and valuable training. The following are a few examples of fellowship programs offered across the country that prepare aspiring leaders to design, create, and lead high performing charter schools:

Building Excellent Schools Fellowship: Over a multi-year process, Fellows hone their school’s vision, develop their leadership skills, and train to found and lead an equitable, high-performing school that reflects the needs of their community.

Diverse Charter Schools Coalition (UnifiEd School Launch Program) : DCSC’s UnifiED School Launch Fellowship recruits and prepares future school leaders of excellent, intentionally integrated, public charter schools.

Innovate Public Schools : The World-Class Schools Fellowship coaches and develops school leaders to design and run excellent and equitable schools in California.

Moonshot EdVentures : Surfaces and supports underrepresented leaders in developing new learning environment models of tomorrow in the Metro Denver area.

Charter School Application

The charter school application is the first step towards realizing your dream of establishing a start-up charter school, and it is like writing a business plan in that it includes your mission, growth projections, hiring practices, budget, as well as curriculum design and more. All states with charter school legislation require an application and have a unique approval process.

A common thread throughout your charter school application will be your mission, which is ultimately your reason for being. Your school’s mission statement should communicate what you aim to accomplish and how you plan to meet those goals, and everything outlined in your application should support its achievement.

For help with the application stage, your first step should be to reach out to your state’s charter school support organization as they often provide critical startup support and can connect you to financial and other experts as needed. Some organizations also run charter school startup workshop series (there is often an admissions process) to guide you through the process.

EdTec provides support with the charter school application and budget process .

Student Recruitment

The enrollment pipeline for your new charter school has substantial implications, as funding is based on a per-pupil basis. Creating and executing a recruitment plan and outreach strategy is hard work, especially without a proven track record or facilities.

A good recruitment plan focuses on meeting potential families where they are and effectively communicates why your school is the best option for their children. It is important to spend time getting to know families in your target community and establish strong relationships with them, as they will be your best advocates when it comes time for authorization.

In terms of timing, you will want to start the outreach process as early as possible to create awareness and be able to demonstrate an interest in your school to your authorizers.

Your plan should include tactics and communication activities for each stage in the recruiting funnel: interest, apply, enroll, attend. A best practice is to aim to over-enroll by 10-20% more students than needed. Some potential funnel building tactics and activities include:

• Knocking on doors: You can involve others from your founding team along with supportive families and community members.
• Hosting town hall meetings: Either in-person at a community center that is willing to share space, or virtually, which might make it more accessible for working parents. You could ask local neighborhood associations if they are willing to give you time on their meeting agendas so you can spread the word about your school.
• Traditional media (newspaper, TV, local radio): Inquire if there are free or discounted placements available for nonprofit organizations.
• Distribute fliers: Post these at grocery stores, churches, museums, and other frequently trafficked areas in your target community.
• Social media: Facebook is a good place to start, and it is easy and cost-effective to start running ads that target families in relevant zip codes.
• Newsletters: Keep interested families engaged and informed about what is happening with your new charter school by staying in touch and reminding them of key dates such as upcoming open enrollment deadlines.

Charter school leaders across the nation have a challenge in finding suitable school buildings and facilities due to inequitable access and higher costs. According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools , “Access to school buildings is one of the biggest obstacles to expanding charter school choices.”

Finding a location that is suitable or adaptable for a conducive learning environment requires innovation, creativity, and flexibility. As a new charter school leader, your search for a facility should start with how much space you need.

How many students do you plan to have in Year 1? Do you want to grow into your original space, or is this just a starter space? Does your school require unique areas? These considerations will help to define your needs.

To find affordable space, look at ‘borrowing’ community resources that are already available or approach organizations that might be willing to donate or lease facilities. Your search might include office spaces and unused floors in public schools, churches, and university institutions.

Take into consideration that some of these spaces will need to be renovated to meet the requirements for education use.

It is also important to be aware of financing options for your new charter school facility. One opportunity within the federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) funding area provides federal funding to help newly authorized charter schools find suitable facilities. The Charter School Facility Center at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools offers a snapshot of how states are enacting policies to help offset the cost of leasing, purchasing, and maintaining public charter school facilities; see the State Policy Snapshot: Facilities for Public Charter Schools to learn more about your potential funding options.

Human Resources (HR) Management is a critical element in starting and operating a successful new charter school. Recruiting, onboarding, and engaging your founding staff using positive HR practices will encourage your team of dedicated teachers and staff to develop and thrive.

Your staffing plan should focus first on hiring your co-captains and main crew, which should include the head of school or principal, operations or office manager, and the lead subject or grade level teachers. Filling these positions with the right people is critical to the success of your school. As noted in The School Leader’s Toolbox: Teacher Recruitment and Selection put together by the New Teacher Project, “The first step to creating a high performing school is choosing the right team. An effective recruitment and selection process brings in strong teachers and sets expectations for a school’s unique culture.”

When hiring, timing is not always on your side, so it is vital to find a balance between in-depth vetting and efficiency. Here are a few recruiting and hiring tips for successful staffing before your first day of school for your new charter school:

• Hire early: Provides the opportunity to see if they are a good fit.
• Be strategic with onboarding: Engage new hires with regular touchpoints and share important information such as the charter document and literature on the school’s educational philosophy.
• Do not neglect HR documents: Work with a legal team to develop a comprehensive employee handbook.
• Develop well-written position descriptions: This will help to clearly define roles, make employees more productive on the job, and eliminate confusion down the road.

Explore the many resources and hiring portals that are available to help assist in your recruitment, such as local newspapers, specialty newspapers, local colleges, job fairs, school board associations, education job boards such as EdJoin and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools Job Board , and your state association of charter schools.

Authorizer Relations

Authorizers determine who can start a new charter school, set academic and operational expectations, and oversee school performance (National Association of Charter School Authorizers) . Because authorizers are responsible for ensuring schools operate in accordance with their charter, they can also make the decision to close a charter school for poor performance.

Creating an authentic and transparent relationship with your authorizer from the start will help you down the road. Before you open your school doors, it is important to work with your authorizer to understand processes, expectations, and deadlines. Keep in mind that the job of the authorizer does not stop at approval, and neither should your relationship with them.

Here are a few tips to help you establish a good relationship with your authorizer:

• Be collaborative: Your success is their success and vice versa.
• Make friends: You both share a common goal of improving the quality of public education.
• Get a healthy start: First impressions make lasting impressions.
• Stay up to date: Develop working norms around compliance and reporting.
• Keep in touch: Maintain consistent communication.

The financial health of your start-up charter school can ultimately determine your school’s viability. Your new charter school is subject to the same financial audit procedures, requirements, and reports as traditional district schools, and often more. Most charter schools that fail are forced to close for non-academic reasons, most often because of financial difficulties (Center for Education Reform) .

Budgeting & Fundraising

Your budget should support the mission and vision of your new charter school by appropriately allocating resources to meet the goals outlined in your charter.

Begin your budget planning process with enrollment in mind. While it is best to aim high and push for a healthy waitlist during recruitment, you’ll want to be realistic with your budget’s enrollment projections as they are used to calculate projected revenue. Your budget should consider all potential costs while cultivating a culture of frugality when it comes to spending, especially in Year 0 to conserve as much as possible for your first few years in operation.

An excellent tool to use is the Cost Estimation Tool developed by the National Charter Resource Center on Charter School Finance and Governance, which helps start-up charter school operators to identify the underlying cost assumptions and use those assumptions to estimate operating costs.

Raising funds for your new charter school can be a challenge since it is hard to gain access to bank loans without a track record. However, there are other funding options to explore. As mentioned above, the federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) provides funding to support newly authorized charter schools, provided your SEA hasn’t already received CSP funding in the fiscal year in question. Other options include grants from local and national foundations, private individuals, and the local business community.

EdTec’s grant writing experts have a proven track record with the CSP grant as well as foundation grants.

Overall, surround yourself with a passionate team that is committed to your mission, and stay laser-focused on the goals you set out to accomplish. If you don’t have expertise in a certain area, know your limitations, and seek help to complement your strengths from charter support organizations, special programs, and service providers.

Starting a charter school has never been easy, but the impact on the future of education is well worth it.

I like that you mentioned how there are many things to consider on the journey for a new charter school. I was watching a video earlier and I saw how charter schools are usually started. From what I’ve seen, it seems charter start-up programs are available now too.

Leave a Reply

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

SIGN UP FOR OUR MAILING LIST

© EdTec Inc.

• Meet Our Team
• Join Our Team
• Case Studies

School Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

School Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their schools.

If you’re unfamiliar with creating a school business plan, you may think creating one will be a time-consuming and frustrating process. For most entrepreneurs it is, but for you, it won’t be since we’re here to help. We have the experience, resources, and knowledge to help you create a great business plan.

In this article, you will learn some background information on why business planning is important. Then, you will learn how to write a school business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is a School Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your school as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategies for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a School

If you’re looking to start a school or grow your existing school, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your school to improve your chances of success. Your school business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Schools

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for schools are donations and gifts, tuition, personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, and angel investors. When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to ensure that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for schools.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for a school.

If you want to start a school or expand your current one, you need a business plan. The guide below details the necessary information for how to write each essential component of your school business plan.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your executive summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the kind of school you are running and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a school that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of schools?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan.

• Give a brief overview of the school industry.
• Discuss the type of school you are operating.
• Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers.
• Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy. Identify the key members of your team.
• Offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Overview

In your company overview, you will detail the type of school you are operating.

For example, you might specialize in one of the following types of schools:

• Private K-12 school : this type of school typically charges tuition, and may be affiliated with a religious organization, or specialize in a particular learning method.
• Charter school: this type of school offers primary or secondary education for a tuition, and may receive some public funding, and/or donations. These schools require their students to take state-mandated exams.
• Special subject school: this type of school specializes in teaching a specific subject, such as driving, first-aid, self-defense, fine arts, language, or general tutoring.
• Preschool: this type of school typically serves children who are aged 3 and 4. These schools prepare young children to enter formal education, and are funded by some combination of tuition, donations, and government grants.

In addition to explaining the type of school you will operate, the company overview needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of students served, the number of students accepted into elite formal education institutions, etc.
• Your legal business Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry or market analysis, you need to provide an overview of the school industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the school industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your marketing strategy, particularly if your analysis identifies market trends.

The third reason is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your school business plan:

• How big is the school industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential target market for your school? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your school business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: families with elementary-aged children, families with high-school-aged children, families with preschool children.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of school you operate. Clearly, families with high schoolers would respond to different marketing promotions than families with preschoolers, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, including a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the potential customers you seek to serve.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can recognize and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

Finish Your School Business Plan in 1 Day!

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your business plan?

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other schools.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t directly competing with your product or service. This includes public schools, virtual schools, and families who do homeschooling. You need to mention such competition as well.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their business and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as

• What types of students do they serve?
• What type of school are they?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide specialized instruction, either in subject or in method?
• Will you offer courses or services that your competition doesn’t?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.  

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a school business plan, your marketing strategy should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of school that you documented in your company overview. Then, detail the specific products or services you will be offering. For example, will you provide religious-focused K-8 education, college preparatory courses, or single-subject instruction like driving or fine arts?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your plan, you are presenting the courses and/or extracurricular activities you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the site of your school. Document where your company is situated and mention how the site will impact your success. For example, is your school located in a growing neighborhood, in the city center, or will you operate purely online? Discuss how your site might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your school marketing plan is where you will document how you will drive potential customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertise in local papers, radio stations and/or magazines
• Reach out to websites
• Distribute flyers
• Engage in email marketing
• Advertise on social media platforms
• Improve the SEO (search engine optimization) on your website for targeted keywords

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your school, including answering calls, planning and delivering instruction, applying for grants, fundraising, performing administrative tasks, overseeing instructors, handling discipline, scheduling and monitoring extracurricular activities, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to enroll your Xth student, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your school to a new city.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your school’s potential to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing schools. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in running a school or experience with public school administration or who has served on a public school board.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenue and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you enroll 100 or 1,000 students per semester, and/or offer extracurricular activities? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your school, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a lender writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and ensure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

When creating your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a school:

• Cost of equipment and supplies
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Other start-up expenses (if you’re a new business) like legal expenses, permits, computer software, and equipment

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your school location lease or a list of elective courses or extracurricular activities you will offer.  

Writing a business plan for your school is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will understand the school industry, your competition, and your customers. You will develop a marketing strategy and will understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful school.  

School Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my school business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily write your school business plan.

How Do You Start a School?

Starting a school is easy with these 14 steps:

• Choose the Name for Your School
• Create Your School Business Plan
• Choose the Legal Structure for Your School
• Secure Startup Funding for Your School (If Needed)
• Secure a Location for Your Business
• Register Your School with the IRS
• Open a Business Bank Account
• Get a Business Credit Card
• Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits
• Get Business Insurance for Your School
• Buy or Lease the Right School Equipment
• Develop Your School Business Marketing Materials
• Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your School
• Open for Business

Learn more about   how to start your own school .

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your School business plan?

OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.   Click here to learn about Growthink’s business plan writing services .

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

• Advance Medical Directive Forms
• Affidavit and Declaration Forms
• Arbitration Forms
• Assignment Forms
• Auditor Forms
• Confidentiality Forms
• Court Forms
• Employment Contract Forms
• Energy and Environmental Forms
• Escrow Agreements
• Incorporation and Company Forms
• Independent Contractor Forms
• Intellectual Property Forms
• Landlord and Tenant Notices
• Law Office Management
• Letters of Intent
• Limited Liability Companies
• Marriage and Family Law
• Mergers, Amalgamations and Takeovers
• Partnerships and Joint Ventures
• Personal Guarantees
• Power of Attorney Forms
• Releases and Waivers
• Shareholder Forms
• Software Licensing and Development Forms
• Stock Options and Incentive Plans
• Trust Agreements
• Wills & Estate Planning Forms
• Advertising and Marketing Forms
• Animal Services Forms
• Bids, Tenders and Proposals
• Business and Marketing Plans
• Business Presentations
• Buying or Selling a Business
• Catering Forms
• Cleaning Contracts and Forms
• Construction Industry Forms
• Consulting Contract Forms
• Customer Service Forms
• Distributor and Dealership Agreements
• Equipment Sales and Leasing
• Film and TV Contracts
• Forms for Online Businesses
• Franchise Forms
• Graphic Arts Forms
• Health Services Forms
• Hotel Management Forms
• Information Technology Forms
• Manufacturing Forms
• Music Contracts
• Nanny and Childcare Forms
• Painting Contractor Forms
• Photographer Contracts
• Publishing Business Forms
• Purchasing Forms
• Restaurant Management Forms
• Roofing Contractor Forms
• Sales and Auction Forms
• Security Services
• Service Contracts
• Sports and Fitness Forms
• Starting Up a Small Business
• Storage Contracts and Parking Leases
• Vehicle Sales and Leasing Forms
• Website Development and Hosting
• Workplace Manuals and Policies
• Accounts Receivable & Credit Forms
• Asset Protection and Tax Planning
• Bankruptcy Forms
• Bill of Sale Forms
• Financial Service Contracts
• Insurance Forms
• Investor Forms
• Loan Transaction Forms
• Mortgage Forms
• Promissory Note Forms
• Retirement Planning Information
• Succession Planning
• Commercial Lease Forms
• Condominium and Strata Forms
• Facility Rental Forms
• Farm Land Leases
• Hunting and Fishing Leases
• Mobile Home Forms
• Property Appraisal Forms
• Real Estate Forms
• Rental Property Management Forms
• Residential Lease and Tenancy Forms
• Vacation Property Rental Forms
• Discount Plans
• Subscribers
• UNITED KINGDOM
• UNITED STATES
• NEW ZEALAND
• Civil Actions
• Criminal Cases
• New South Wales
• Northern Territory
• South Australia
• Western Australia
• British Columbia
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland & Labrador
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Prince Edward Island
• Saskatchewan
• Connecticut
• Massachusetts
• Mississippi
• New Hampshire
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• West Virginia
• District of Columbia
• BRITISH COLUMBIA
• NEW BRUNSWICK
• NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR
• NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
• NOVA SCOTIA
• PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
• SASKATCHEWAN
• YUKON TERRITORY
• MASSACHUSETTS
• MISSISSIPPI
• NEW HAMPSHIRE
• NORTH CAROLINA
• NORTH DAKOTA
• PENNSYLVANIA
• RHODE ISLAND
• SOUTH CAROLINA
• SOUTH DAKOTA
• WEST VIRGINIA
• Free Celebrity Wills
• Cast and Crew Contracts
• Film Clearance and Release Forms
• Film Distribution and Licensing Forms
• Film Financing and Budget Forms
• Film Production Logs and Forms
• Film Tax Credit Forms
• Rental Contracts for Film and TV
• Script and Screenwriter Forms
• Soundtracks and Scores
• Theater Production Forms
• TV Production Contracts
• Video Production Forms
• Booking Agent & Manager Contracts
• Music Publishing Forms
• Recording Contract Forms
• Songwriter Contracts
• Australian Capital Territory

• Business Forms /
• Business and Marketing Plans /

Charter School Business Plan

Prepare a Business Plan for a charter school with this customizable template.

• a financial summary and pro forma projections,
• a Confidentiality Agreement to protect against disclosure of your proprietary information,
• instructions to help you complete each section of the document.

• Glossary of Common Legal and Business Terms
• Find a Lawyer
• Legal In A Box
• Privacy Policy
• About MegaDox
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Guest Bloggers
• Exchanges and Refunds
• Save Money with a Subscription or Discount Plan
• Testimonials
• Conditions of Use
• Customer info
• Shopping cart
• Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• [email protected]
• 359-889-23-01-90; 359-889-23-01-90

Upmetrics AI Assistant: Simplifying Business Planning through AI-Powered Insights. Learn How

• AI ASSISTANTS

Upmetrics AI Your go-to AI-powered business assistant

AI Writing Assist Write, translate, and refine your text with AI

AI Financial Assist Automated forecasts and AI recommendations

• TOP FEATURES

AI Business Plan Generator Create business plans faster with AI

Financial Forecasting Make accurate financial forecasts faster

Strategic Planning Develop actionable strategic plans on-the-go

AI Pitch Deck Generator Use AI to generate your investor deck

See how it works  →

AI-powered business planning software

Very useful business plan software connected to AI. Saved a lot of time, money and energy. Their team is highly skilled and always here to help.

- Julien López

• BY USE CASE

Starting & Launching a Business Plan your business for launch and success

Validate Your Business Idea Discover the potential of your business idea

Secure Funding, Loans, Grants Create plans that get you funded

Business Consultant & Advisors Plan seamlessly with your team members and clients

Business Schools & Educators Simplify business plan education for students

Students & Learners Your e-tutor for business planning

• Sample Plans
• WHY UPMETRICS?

Reviews See why customers love Upmetrics

Customer Success Stories Read our customer success stories

Blogs Latest business planning tips and strategies

Strategic Planning Templates Ready-to-use strategic plan templates

Business Plan Course A step-by-step business planning course

Ebooks & Guides A free resource hub on business planning

Business Tools Free business tools to help you grow

• Sample Business Plans
• Education & Training

School Business Plan

High demand and a recurring revenue model make starting a school business a lucrative and rewarding profession.

Anyone can start a new business, but you need a detailed business plan when it comes to raising funding, applying for loans, and scaling it like a pro!

Need help writing a business plan for your school business? You’re at the right place. Our school business plan template will help you get started.

Free Business Plan Template

Download our free business plan template now and pave the way to success. Let’s turn your vision into an actionable strategy!

• Fill in the blanks – Outline
• Financial Tables

How to Write A School Business Plan?

Writing a school business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan:

1. Executive Summary

An executive summary is the first section planned to offer an overview of the entire business plan. However, it is written after the entire business plan is ready and summarizes each section of your plan.

Here are a few key components to include in your executive summary:

Introduce your Business:

Start your executive summary by briefly introducing your business to your readers.

Market Opportunity:

Educational programs & services:.

Highlight the school services you offer your clients. The USPs and differentiators you offer are always a plus.

Marketing & Sales Strategies:

Financial highlights:, call to action:.

Ensure your executive summary is clear, concise, easy to understand, and jargon-free.

Say goodbye to boring templates

Build your business plan faster and easier with AI

Plans starting from $7/month

2. Business Overview

The business overview section of your business plan offers detailed information about your business. The details you add will depend on how important they are to your business. Yet, business name, location, business history, and future goals are some of the foundational elements you must consider adding to this section:

Business Description:

Describe your business in this section by providing all the basic information:

Describe what kind of school business you run and the name of it. You may specialize in one of the following school businesses:

• Public schools
• Private schools
• Charter schools
• Magnet schools
• Virtual or online schools
• Boarding schools
• International schools
• Religious schools
• Describe the legal structure of your school, whether it is a sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, or others.
• Explain where your business is located and why you selected the place.

Mission Statement:

Business history:.

If you’re an established school, briefly describe your business history, like—when it was founded, how it evolved over time, etc.

Additionally, If you have received any awards or recognition for excellent work, describe them.

Future Goals

This section should provide a thorough understanding of your business, its history, and its future plans. Keep this section engaging, precise, and to the point.

3. Market Analysis

The market analysis section of your business plan should offer a thorough understanding of the industry with the target market, competitors, and growth opportunities. You should include the following components in this section.

Target market:

Start this section by describing your target market. Define your ideal customer and explain what types of services they prefer. Creating a buyer persona will help you easily define your target market to your readers.

Market size and growth potential:

Describe your market size and growth potential and whether you will target a niche or a much broader market.

Competitive Analysis:

Market trends:.

Analyze emerging trends in the industry, such as technology disruptions, changes in customer behavior or preferences, etc. Explain how your business will cope with all the trends.

Regulatory Environment:

Here are a few tips for writing the market analysis section of your school business plan::

• Conduct market research, industry reports, and surveys to gather data.
• Provide specific and detailed information whenever possible.
• Illustrate your points with charts and graphs.
• Write your business plan keeping your target audience in mind.

4. Products And Services

The product and services section should describe the specific services and products that will be offered to students. To write this section should include the following:

Describe your school services:

Mention the school services your business will offer. This list may include services like,

• Education programs
• Extracurricular activities
• Counseling & Guidance
• Special education services
• Transportation services
• Food services
• Testing and assessments

Describe specialized programs:

Student leadership programs, additional services:.

In short, this section of your school plan must be informative, precise, and client-focused. By providing a clear and compelling description of your offerings, you can help potential investors and readers understand the value of your business.

5. Sales And Marketing Strategies

Writing the sales and marketing strategies section means a list of strategies you will use to attract and retain your clients. Here are some key elements to include in your sales & marketing plan:

Unique Selling Proposition (USP):

Define your business’s USPs depending on the market you serve, the equipment you use, and the unique services you provide. Identifying USPs will help you plan your marketing strategies.

Pricing Strategy:

Marketing strategies:, sales strategies:, customer retention:.

Overall, this section of your school business plan should focus on customer acquisition and retention.

Have a specific, realistic, and data-driven approach while planning sales and marketing strategies for your school business, and be prepared to adapt or make strategic changes in your strategies based on feedback and results.

6. Operations Plan

The operations plan section of your business plan should outline the processes and procedures involved in your business operations, such as staffing requirements and operational processes. Here are a few components to add to your operations plan:

Staffing & Training:

Operational process:, equipment & software:.

Include the list of equipment and software required for school, such as whiteboards & projectors, student information systems, learning management systems, communication & collaboration tools, etc.

Adding these components to your operations plan will help you lay out your business operations, which will eventually help you manage your business effectively.

7. Management Team

The management team section provides an overview of your school business’s management team. This section should provide a detailed description of each manager’s experience and qualifications, as well as their responsibilities and roles.

Founders/CEO:

Key managers:.

Introduce your management and key members of your team, and explain their roles and responsibilities.

Organizational structure:

Compensation plan:, advisors/consultants:.

Mentioning advisors or consultants in your business plans adds credibility to your business idea.

This section should describe the key personnel for your school, highlighting how you have the perfect team to succeed.

8. Financial Plan

Your financial plan section should provide a summary of your business’s financial projections for the first few years. Here are some key elements to include in your financial plan:

Profit & loss statement:

Cash flow statement:, balance sheet:, break-even point:.

Determine and mention your business’s break-even point—the point at which your business costs and revenue will be equal.

Financing Needs:

Be realistic with your financial projections, and make sure you offer relevant information and evidence to support your estimates.

9. Appendix

The appendix section of your plan should include any additional information supporting your business plan’s main content, such as market research, legal documentation, financial statements, and other relevant information.

• Add a table of contents for the appendix section to help readers easily find specific information or sections.
• In addition to your financial statements, provide additional financial documents like tax returns, a list of assets within the business, credit history, and more. These statements must be the latest and offer financial projections for at least the first three or five years of business operations.
• Provide data derived from market research, including stats about the industry, user demographics, and industry trends.
• Include any legal documents such as permits, licenses, and contracts.
• Include any additional documentation related to your business plan, such as product brochures, marketing materials, operational procedures, etc.

Use clear headings and labels for each section of the appendix so that readers can easily find the necessary information.

Remember, the appendix section of your school business plan should only include relevant and important information supporting your plan’s main content.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

This sample school business plan will provide an idea for writing a successful school plan, including all the essential components of your business.

After this, if you still need clarification about writing an investment-ready business plan to impress your audience, download our school business plan pdf .

Related Posts

After-School Program Business Plan

Preschool Business Plan

400+ Business Plan Template Example

Business Plan Writing Guide

Business Plan Cover Page Design Idea

How to Create Business Plan Outline

Frequently asked questions, why do you need a school business plan.

A business plan is an essential tool for anyone looking to start or run a successful school business. It helps to get clarity in your business, secures funding, and identifies potential challenges while starting and growing your business.

Overall, a well-written plan can help you make informed decisions, which can contribute to the long-term success of your school.

How to get funding for your school business?

There are several ways to get funding for your school business, but self-funding is one of the most efficient and speedy funding options. Other options for funding are:

• Bank loan – You may apply for a loan in government or private banks.
• Small Business Administration (SBA) loan – SBA loans and schemes are available at affordable interest rates, so check the eligibility criteria before applying for it.
• Crowdfunding – The process of supporting a project or business by getting a lot of people to invest in your business, usually online.
• Angel investors – Getting funds from angel investors is one of the most sought startup options.

Apart from all these options, there are small business grants available, check for the same in your location and you can apply for it.

Where to find business plan writers for your school business?

There are many business plan writers available, but no one knows your business and ideas better than you, so we recommend you write your school business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind.

What is the easiest way to write your school business plan?

A lot of research is necessary for writing a business plan, but you can write your plan most efficiently with the help of any school business plan example and edit it as per your need. You can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less with the help of our business plan software .

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

Plan your business in the shortest time possible

No Risk – Cancel at Any Time – 15 Day Money Back Guarantee

Popular Templates

Create a great Business Plan with great price.

• 400+ Business plan templates & examples
• AI Assistance & step by step guidance
• 4.8 Star rating on Trustpilot

Streamline your business planning process with Upmetrics .

• EL Education
• Adventure Program
• Introduction
• Mastery of Knowledge and Skills: Claim 1
• Mastery of Knowledge and Skills: Claim 2
• Mastery of Knowledge and Skills: Claim 3
• Student Character: Claim 1
• Student Character: Claim 2
• Student Character: Claim 3
• High Quality Student Work: Claim 1
• High Quality Student Work: Claim 2
• High Quality Student Work: Claim 3
• Crew Product Gallery
• Director’s Note: PPCS Earns Credentialed Status
• PPCS Policies
• Quail’s Eye View – From the School Board
• School Report Cards
• Financial Transparency
• Accountability
• Staff Resources
• Admission Procedure
• Enrollment | Lottery
• Subscribe to our Newsletter!
• News & Announcements
• PPCS in the Spotlight
• Lunch Menu | Information
• Handbooks | Guides | Forms
• Resources for Families In Need
• Before / After School Care
• Transportation
• Parent Crew News & Events
• Parent Crew | Volunteer Opportunities
• Community Circle
• Kindergarten
• Middle School
• School Supply Donation
• Make a Contribution to PPCS
• PowerSchool Login
• Tech Support Resources

Our New School

Buy a brick. build a school., welcome to our new school.

Palouse Prairie Charter School opened the 2019-2020 school year in our new, custom-built school building, situated on 3.25 acres of land, just off Palouse River Drive in Moscow.  After operating for ten years from a converted furniture building, students and teachers are enjoying natural light, energy-efficient classrooms, beautiful views of the Palouse, and room to play outside. With more space, Palouse Prairie can now grow to our full enrollment size of 216 students.

History of our school

Campus upgrades, you can contribute to our new school, leave a legacy of learning:, naming opportunities.

• Multipurpose Building ($50,000)
• Science Lab ($15,000) reserved
• Classrooms (9 @ $10,000 ea) 1 reserved
• Playground Structure ($5,000)
• School Garden ($2,500) reserved
• Park Benches ( 4 benches @ $1,000 ea) reserved
• Shade Trees (10 trees @ $750 ea)
• Bike Racks ($750) reserved

Brick Order Form

4x8 Brick - $250 (3 lines max, 20 characters per line) 8x8 Brick - $500 (6 lines max, 20 characters per line

Your Full Name (required)

Your Email (required)

Address (required)

City (required)

State (required)

Zipcode (required)

Telephone Number (required)

Line 1 Line 2 Line 3 Line 4 Line 5 Line 6

Comments or Special Instructions?

Inside a Harlem charter school’s unprecedented plan to give students $10,000 to invest—’the parents will definitely lose their minds’

T he Harlem Children’s Zone, a charter school provider and nonprofit focused on addressing intergenerational poverty, is looking to send high-school students off with thousands of dollars in savings upon graduation. There are some strings attached, but the plan is the first of its kind—and Harlem Children's Zone plans on rolling it out to 10 cities after New York, including Atlanta.

Debuting its new take on baby bonds, the national organization is raising $300 million for a program called Wealth Builds, wherein almost 10,000 students will receive $10,000 each to build wealth, according to The New York Times . With $50 million raised so far—enough for 2,200 students, or two charter schools—the goal with these funds is to address the racial wealth divide and set students up for future financial success. 

The catch with this program is that the $10,000 grants will be invested on behalf of students, and that money won’t be accessible until the child turns 25 years old. The idea is that the money will grow as the kid does, by around 5% annually, according to Kwame Owusu-Kesse, CEO of The Harlem Children’s Zone.

"The parents will definitely lose their minds," Owusu-Keese told the Times .

The amount of money students accumulate might balloon even more. Billionaire backer of Harlem Children’s Zone, Stanley Druckenmiller, said the 5% interest is a “conservative” estimate. As it stands, a student receiving said funds as a kindergartener could end up with around $26,000 by the time they’re a young adult.

There are some hoops involved in this program. Students will receive said money after graduating college, and also after taking financial-literacy classes called “cradle to career” programs. “Students who don’t reach all the milestones would still be entitled to part of the money,” according to Chen. And once they get the money, a board is set up to approve the potential usage as it must be used for “wealth-building purposes.”

Generally, charter schools in America are polarizing. Privatizing education means certain nonprofits like Harlem Children's Zone are profiting a fair amount; the group made $135 million in revenue, according to a June 2022 tax filing . Often advertised to low-income households as a way to get through underfunded public-school systems, these schools have actually been shown to often increase racial segregation despite promises otherwise. 

Harlem Children’s Zone’s program, though, is a step in an increasingly advocated direction when it comes to addressing disparity; similar programs have been outlined recently as a way to address growing racial wealth inequality. Since the pandemic, the disparity has only become more pronounced, as white individuals outpaced Black and Hispanic individuals in real net worth by 30% and 9%, according to New York Federal Reserve Bank data from 2019 to 2023. Even though Black wealth has made gains, gaps in housing ownership and equity contributed to a pervasive and widening gap. 

“While growth in Black ownership of businesses and homes is a positive step forward, it is not enough to combat the compounding effect of wealth,” explain the authors of a Brookings report, citing a long history of prejudice that cannot be untangled without new legislation.

Baby bonds have entered the sphere as a potential way to address some of this generational privilege and the wealth gap. This strategy involves setting up universal savings accounts as funded by the government. Those with the lowest incomes would be given the largest endowments, and children wouldn't access the trust until adulthood. Later, the money could be used for pathways to build wealth such as homeownership or the pursuit of higher education. 

“In order to live up to the American promise of economic opportunity and upward mobility for all, we need a bold solution such as a substantial child trust account that provides seed capital to purchase the economic security of an appreciating asset for all Americans,” note economists and professors Darrick Hamilton and William Darity Jr. 

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

Charter School Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business ideas » Education Industry » Charter School

Are you about starting a charter school ? If YES, here is a complete sample charter school business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE .

A charter school is an independently operated public school that has greater flexibility in its mode of operation, in return for greater accountability for performance. A charter school system is a local school district that operates under the terms of a charter between the State Board of Education and the local school district.

The system receives flexibility from certain state rules and regulations in exchange for greater accountability with greater emphasis on school-based leadership and decision-making.

The basic difference between charter schools and other public schools is that charter schools are classified as public schools of choice. Furthermore, it is the practice for charter schools to be held accountable for academic results and for upholding the promises they made in their charters.

As a matter of fact, they are required to demonstrate performance in the areas of academic achievement, financial management, and organizational stability. This is so because if a charter school fails to meet the set performance goals, the school is likely going to be closed down.

A Sample Charter School Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

Charter schools offer primary- and secondary-level education funded by public sources, but are afforded more flexibility in curriculum design and implementation than traditional public schools. Charter schools receive the vast majority of their funding from federal, state and local governments, so revenue can fluctuate significantly based on budgetary decisions.

However, many charter schools are funded on a per-pupil basis, allowing schools to increase enrollment without having to worry about financial support.

Recent reports released by IBISWORLD shows that over the past five years, the Charter Schools industry has grown by 9.8 percent to reach revenue of $41bn in 2018. In the same timeframe, the number of businesses has grown by 5.6 percent and the number of employees has grown by 8.8 percent.

As a result of explosive growth in charter school interest and enrollment, industry revenue is anticipated to grow at an annualized rate of 9.8 percent over the five years to 2018 to reach $40.8 billion, including a 9.2 percent increase in 2018 alone.

In the united states of America, the Charter Schools industry is indeed a large and thriving industry. Statistics has it that the industry is worth $41 billion, with an estimated growth rate of 9.8 percent annually between 2013 and 2018.

There are about 7,975 registered and licensed (accredited) charter schools scattered all around the United States of America and they are responsible for employing about 427,934 people. Aside from Los Angeles Unified School District which has the largest enrollments, no other charter school can boast of dominating the market; every player in the industry can comfortably compete in the industry.

It is important to state that the barriers to entry into the Charter Schools industry are high. As a matter of fact, the industry is pretty difficult for new entrants to establish themselves. So also, the reputation of the school is of utmost importance, as charter schools that have a good history of getting students into prestigious colleges often have the best reputations hence good enrollments.

Reputation indeed is imperative to parents’ decisions when shopping for charter school for their wards. This is so because the quality of education cannot be assessed until after it is complete. As a major marketing tool, schools need to show parents a track record of admission to elite colleges and universities.

Even though this might seem like a highly competitive industry, the industry is still pretty much open for aspiring school proprietors to still come in and compete.

As a matter of fact, if you conduct your research and feasibility studies very well before starting your own charter school, coupled with impressive profile of your faculty members, you are likely going to struggle less to make headway in the industry.

2. Executive Summary

Saint Paul® Community Charter School is a standard co – education charter school that will be located in a well – populated residential estate in Saint Paul – Minnesota, United States of America.

We are a standard charter school that is composed of primary (kindergarten through sixth grade) and secondary (seventh through 12th grade) educational institution that will be predominantly co – funded by government and through tuition fees and levies from students and of course from other private sources.

Saint Paul® Community Charter School is a client-focused and result driven charter school that provides broad-based learning approaches and experience at an affordable fee that won’t in any way put a hole in the pocket of our clients (students and parents alike).

We will offer professional teaching services in a highly secured and conducive learning environment to all our students that is primary (kindergarten through sixth grade) and secondary (seventh through 12th grade). We will ensure that we work hard to meet and surpass all our students’ expectations and educational goals whenever they enroll in our charter school.

At Saint Paul® Community Charter School, our students’ overall best interest would always come first, and everything we do will be guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hire professional educationist cum teachers in various subjects who are well experienced and passionate in imparting knowledge to students at various learning ladder.

Saint Paul® Community Charter School will at all times demonstrate her commitment to sustainability, both individually and as an educational organization, by actively participating in our communities and integrating sustainable business practices wherever possible.

We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our students’ needs precisely and completely. We have plans in future to also offer learning platforms to people with both learning disability and physical disability (especially the blind, the dumb and the deaf).

Our overall business goal is to position our charter school to become the leading special public school brand in the educational industry in the whole of Saint Paul – Minnesota, and also to be amongst the top 10 charter schools in the whole of the United States of America within the first 20 years of operation.

This might look too tall a dream but we are optimistic that this will surely come to pass because we have done our research and feasibility studies and we are enthusiastic and confident that Saint Paul is the right place to launch our charter school.

Saint Paul® Community Charter School is founded by Dr. (Mrs.) Becky Steve – Carson. She is an educationist per excellence and she has won many award in the education sector in the United States. Dr. (Mrs.) Becky Steve – Carson has both academic qualifications and experience to run a charter school that can favorably compete with other leading charter schools.

3. Our Products and Services

Saint Paul® Community Charter School is going to offer varieties of educational services within the United States of America.

Our intention of starting our charter school is to soundly educate people in various subjects and of course to make profits from the education industry and we will do all that is permitted by the law in the US to achieve our aim and business goal.

Our service offerings are listed below;

• Teaching basic literacy and numeracy
• Establishing foundations in science, mathematics, geography, history and other social sciences
• Constantly working hard to meet regulatory accreditation standards
• Administering public – private funding efforts
• Providing access to extracurricular activities
• Retailing of Educational Books and Materials

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to build a highly competitive charter school that will become the number one choice for both parents and students in the whole of Saint Paul – Minnesota.
• Our mission is to provide professional and conducive learning environment to students at different levels of learning.
• Our overall business goal is to position Saint Paul® Community Charter School to become the leading charter school in the educational cum charter school industry in the whole of Saint Paul – Minnesota, and also to be amongst the top 10 charter schools in the United States of America within the first 20 years of operation.

Our Business Structure

It is a known fact that the success of any business is to a larger extent is dependent on the business structure of the organization and the people who occupy the available roles in the organization. Saint Paul® Community Charter School will build a solid business structure that can support the growth of our charter school. We will ensure that we hire competent hands to help us build the charter school of our dream.

The fact that we want to become one of the leading charter schools in the industry in the whole of the United States of America makes it necessary for our organization to deliberately build a well – structured business from the onset. Below is the business structure that we will build Saint Paul® Community Charter School;

• Head of The Charter school (School Proprietress)

School Administrator

Tutors for Various Subjects – Secondary (seventh through 12th grade)

Tutors for Various Subjects – Primary (kindergarten through sixth grade)

• Accountant / Bursar
• Client Service Executive / Front Desk Officer

Security Officers

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Head of the Charter school/School Coordinator:

• Responsible for providing direction for the college
• Responsible for fixing fees and signing business deals (partnership)
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the charter school
• Coordinates all arms of the charter school
• Evaluates the success of the charter school
• Reports to the board of the charter school
• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the charter school
• Designs job descriptions with KPI to drive performance management for tutors (teachers)
• Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders
• Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
• Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carries out induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
• Oversees the smooth running of the daily activities of the charter school.
• Effectively teach subject/subjects as assigned by the school administrator
• Accesses the progress of students under their care
• Ensures that students abide by the rules and regulations of the charter school
• Contributes his / her quota towards growing the charter school
• Receives complaints from parents and channel it to the appropriate quarters
• Handles any other duty as assigned by the school administrator.
• Effectively teaches subject / subjects as assigned by the school administrator
• Teaches basic literacy and numeracy
• Establishes foundations in science, mathematics, geography, history and other social sciences
• Ensures that students abide by the rules and regulations of the school administrator
• Contributes his/her quota towards growing the charter school

Marketing Executive

• Identifies, prioritizes, and reaches out to new students, and business opportunities et al
• Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts
• Documents all customer contact and information
• Represents the company in strategic meetings
• Helps to increase growth for the school

School Bursar (Accountant)

• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensuring compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for Saint Paul® Community Charter School
• Serves as internal auditor for Saint Paul® Community Charter School

Client Service Executive

• Welcomes/receive parents and students by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
• Ensures that all contacts with parents and students (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the parents and students with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with parents and students on the phone, uses every opportunity to build parent’s interest in the schools’ products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the HR and Admin Manager in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to parents and students when they make enquiries
• Receives parcels / documents for Saint Paul® Community Charter School
• Distributes mails in the organization
• Handles any other duties as assigned by the School Administrator.
• Responsible for cleaning the school facility at all times
• Ensures that toiletries and supplies don’t run out of stock
• Handles any other duty as assigned by the school administrator
• Ensures that the school facility is secured at all times
• Controls traffic and organize parking
• Patrols the building on a 24 hours’ basis
• Submits security reports weekly
• Any other duty as assigned by the school administrator.

6. SWOT Analysis

Saint Paul® Community Charter School engaged the services of a core professional in the area of business consulting and structuring with bias in the education sector to assist us in building a well – structured charter school that can favorably compete in the highly competitive education industry in the United States.

Part of what the team of business consultant did was to work with the management of our organization in conducting a SWOT analysis for Saint Paul® Community Charter School. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Saint Paul® Community Charter School;

As a charter school, our core strength lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team with excellent qualifications and experience in the educational sector. We are well positioned in a community with the right demography and we know we will attract loads of students from the first day we open our doors and welcome students for enrollment.

As a new charter school in Saint Paul – Minnesota, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and gain acceptance via reputation in the already saturated education cum charter schools industry; that is perhaps our major weakness.

• Opportunities:

The opportunities in the education cum charter schools industry is massive considering the number of parents who would want their wards to perform excellently in their education and go ahead to be admitted in Ivy league colleges. As a standard charter school, Saint Paul® Community Charter School is ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes her way.

Some of the threats that we are likely going to face as a charter school operating in the United States of America are unfavorable government policies that might affect charter schools, the arrival of a competitor within our location of operation and global economic downturn which usually affects spending / purchasing power.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

The trend in the charter school line of business is that the keys to attracting students is the educational performance and the pass rate of their students in national exams.

Any charter school that has good records will always thrive. The demand for charter schools are driven by the fact that most public cum government owned schools cannot accommodate every students or potential students in a given geographical location.

In some cases, students with special needs cannot cope in public schools hence the need for charter schools. Private schooling offers an alternative for households with higher income, as these institutions often come with a high price tag.

Rising household income levels increase enrollment in private schools, potentially hampering enrollment in charter schools. In 2018, the number of households earning more than $100,000 is expected to increase, representing a potential threat to the industry.

Charter schools are overwhelmingly located in urban areas. Over one-half of all charter school students reside in urban environments, compared with less than one-third of students at traditional public schools. Growth in the percentage of the overall population living in urban areas increase demand for charter schools. The US urban population is expected to increase in 2018, representing a potential opportunity for the industry.

The economic downturn hasn’t really affected this industry, especially in countries that believe in the efficacy of education. The areas you would need to spend heavily on is in ensuring that your school is up to standard, your advertisements, and on insurance policy cover.

Lastly, it is trendier to find charter schools engaging in extra – curricular activities and as a matter of fact, a charter school that thrives in sports can leverage on that to attract students who are sports inclined.

8. Our Target Market

As a standard charter school, Saint Paul® Community Charter School is going to offer varieties of educational services. Our intention of starting our charter school is to soundly educate people in various subjects and of course to make profits from the industry

Our target market as a charter school cuts across people of different class and cultural background whether African, White, Caucasian, Latinos, Indians, and Asians. We will work with the students at different learning stages residing in and around Saint Paul – Minnesota.

Our competitive advantage

Indeed, the charter schools industry is highly competitive and the entry barriers are high. As a matter of fact, it is pretty difficult for new entrants to establish themselves. So also, the reputation of the charter school is of utmost importance, as charter schools that have a good history of getting students into prestigious colleges often have the best reputations hence good enrollments.

With this, it is obvious that a new entrant into the charter school industry cannot offer this. Reputation indeed is imperative to parents’ decisions when shopping for charter schools for their wards because the quality of education cannot be assessed until after it is complete. As a major marketing tool, schools need to show parents a track record of admission to elite colleges and universities.

We are quite aware that to be highly competitive in the education cum charter schools industry means that you should be able to deliver consistent quality service, your students should be able to experience remarkable difference and improvement and you should be able to meet the expectations of both students and parents alike.

Saint Paul® Community Charter School might be a new entrant into the education cum charter schools industry in the United States of America, but the management staff of the charter school are licensed and highly qualified educationists/teachers at various levels of learning in the United States. These are part of what will count as a competitive advantage for us.

Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category in the industry meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our business aims and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Saint Paul® Community Charter School is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the education cum charter schools industry and we are going to go all the way to ensure that we do all it takes to attract students on a regular basis.

Saint Paul® Community Charter School will generate income by offering the following tutorial services;

• Teaching High school students various subjects in our charter school
• Administering private funding efforts

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain, there would always be parents and students who would need the services of charter schools, and as such the services of charter schools will always be needed.

We are positioned to take on the available market in Saint Paul – Minnesota and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income/profits from the first six months of operation and grow the charter school and our student base.

We have been able to examine the charter school market in the United States of America, we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. Below is the sales projection for Saint Paul® Community Charter School, it is based on the location of our tutorial center and of course the wide range of educational cum learning services that we will be offering;

• First Fiscal Year: $250,000
• Second Fiscal Year: $450,000
• Third Fiscal Year: $750,000

N.B : This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown within the period stated above. Also, there won’t be any major competitor offering same services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

We are mindful of the fact that there are stiff competitions amongst charter schools in the United States of America; hence we have been able to hire some of the best marketing experts to handle our sales and marketing concerns.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited base on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to meet their targets and the overall goal of the charter school. We will also ensure that our students’ excellent results from national exams and other exams speak for us in the market place.

Our goal is to grow our charter school to become one of the top 10 charter schools in the United States of America which is why we have mapped out strategies that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with not only in Saint Paul – Minnesota but also in other cities in the United States of America.

Saint Paul® Community Charter School is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;

• Introduce our charter school by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to schools, parents/households and key stake holders in Saint Paul – Minnesota.
• Print out fliers and business cards and strategically drop them in schools, libraries and even student organizations.
• Creating a website allows parents to be able to look you up, and also allows you to post general study tips, giving you an added advantage.
• Use friends and family to spread word about your charter school
• Introduce Saint Paul® Community Charter School to learning specialists, school coaches, school administrators, teachers, guidance counselors especially as they are with students everyday
• Post information about Saint Paul® Community Charter School on bulletin boards in places like schools, libraries, and local coffee shops.
• Place a small or classified advertisement in the newspaper, or local publication about Saint Paul® Community Charter School
• Use tutorial referral networks such as agencies that will help match students with Saint Paul® Community Charter School
• Join relevant association or body that will enable you network and meet others in same industry.
• Advertise online by using an advertising platform such as Google AdWords, that will allow us place text advertisements alongside on websites with related contents, and along results from search engines.
• Advertise our charter school in relevant educational magazines, newspapers, TV and radio stations.
• Engage direct marketing approach
• Encourage word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

We are aware of the potency of a good publicity strategy hence we have been able to work with our brand and publicity consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market.

We are set to become the number one choice for both parents and students in the whole of Saint Paul – Minnesota which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our charter school. Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Saint Paul® Community Charter School;

• Place adverts on both print (community based newspapers and educational magazines) and electronic media platforms
• Sponsor relevant community based events / programs
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook, twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our brand
• Install our billboards in strategic locations all around Saint Paul – Minnesota.
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas in and around Saint Paul – Minnesota
• Passing general information via our school’s social media handles like twitter, Facebook, Google hangouts etc.
• Ensure that all our teaching and non – teaching staff wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles are well branded with our schools’ logo et al.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Charter schools in the United States of America charge students per term/per session and students have the options of either paying their tuitions before resumption or during the school session. Charter schools generally charge students based on loads of factors such as service offerings and extra – curricular activities et al.

At Saint Paul® Community Charter School, we will keep our fees below the average market rate. In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to all our students at regular intervals. We are aware that there are some students that would need special assistance, we will offer flat rate for such services that will be tailored to take care of such students’ needs.

• Payment Options

The payment policy adopted by Bob Russel & Co® Motivational Speaking Company, LLP is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.

Here are the payment options that Bob Russel & Co® Motivational Speaking Company, LLP will make available to her clients;

• Payment via bank transfer
• Payment with cash
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via mobile money
• Payment via check

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our client make payment for services rendered without any stress on their part. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials to clients.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

In setting up a charter school business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake. If you intend to go big by acquiring a large facility, then you would need a higher amount of capital as you need to ensure that your employees are taken care of, and that your charter school’s environment is conducive enough for the students to learn.

The materials and equipment that will be used are nearly the same cost everywhere, and any difference in prices would be minimal and can be overlooked. However, this is what it would cost us to start Saint Paul® Community Charter School in the United of America;

• Business incorporating fees in the United States of America will cost – $750.
• The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license will cost – $3,500
• Acquiring a large facility that will accommodate the number of clases, playing field, staff offices and parking lots et al (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) will cost – $350,000.
• Equipping the classes and office (computers, printers, projectors, markers, pens and pencils, furniture, telephones, filing cabinets, and electronics) will cost – $50,000
• Launching an official website will cost – $500
• The budget for the payment of salaries for the first three months of operations: $120,000
• Additional Expenditure such as Running cost, Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions will cost – $45,000

Going by the market survey and feasibility studies conducted, we came to the conclusion that we will need an average of $750,000 to start a small scale but standard charter school in the United States of America.

Generating Funds/Startup Capital for Saint Paul® Community Charter School

Saint Paul® Community Charter School will be owned and managed by Dr. (Mrs.) Becky Steve – Carson. She decided to restrict the sourcing of the startup capital for the charter school to just three major sources.

• Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings and sale of stocks
• Generate part of the startup capital from government, friends and other extended family members
• Generate a larger chunk of the startup capital from the bank (loan facility).

N.B: We have been able to generate about $250,000 (Personal savings $200,000 and soft loan from family members $50,000) and we are at the final stages of securing $200,000 education grant from the Government an also obtaining a loan facility of $300,000 from our bank. All the papers and documents have been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

It is a known fact that the future of any business lies in the number of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of their employees, their investment strategy and of course business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business, then it won’t be too long before the business closes shop.

One of our major goals of starting Saint Paul® Community Charter School is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running. We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to ensure that we offer nothing less than the best to all our students so much so that they can favorably compete and gain admission into Ivy League colleges.

Saint Paul® Community Charter School will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and re – training of our workforce is at the top burner of our business strategy.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more as determined by the board of the organization. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List/Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check:>Completed
• Business Incorporation: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Securing a standard facility large enough to accommodate our design: Completed
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Generating part of the startup capital from the founders: Completed
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
• Design of The Schools’ Logo: Completed
• Printing of Promotional Materials: Completed
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
• Creating Official Website for the school: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the charter school in Saint Paul – Minnesota: In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with vendors and key players in the education industry: In Progress

Related Posts:

• Private School Business Plan [Sample Template]
• DJ School Business Plan [Sample Template]
• Nursery School Business Plan [Sample Template]
• Music School Business Plan [Sample Template]
• Language School Business Plan [Sample Template]

Ukraine war latest: Moscow accuses West of being responsible for attacks in Russia; two dead in airstrike on major city

At least two people have been killed and more than a dozen injured in a reported Russian attack on Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv. Russia says it sees the US and UK as responsible for recent attacks on its soil.

Friday 17 May 2024 18:11, UK

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

• Two dead and 13 injured in Kharkiv attack
• Russia claims UK is 'de facto participant' in conflict | Moscow says it holds US and UK responsible for attacks on Russian soil
• Russian troops advance - but situation 'stabilised', says Zelenskyy
• Putin: Capturing major city 'not part of plan'
• Footage shows oil refinery fire and burning fuel depots after 'massive' overnight attack
• Analysis: Great power politics on display in China visit
• Were Putin and Xi really pictured with their 'nuclear footballs'?

Ask a question or make a comment

We're pausing our coverage of the Ukraine war for the moment.

Scroll through the blog below to catch up on today's developments.

One person has been killed and another eight injured in a Russian missile attack near the Black Sea port of Odesa, a Ukrainian official has said.

Regional governor Oleh Kiper said five people were being treated in hospital. He posted pictures showing emergency workers near the scene of the strike.

Sky News has not independently verified the report.

Odesa has been a frequent target of Russian missile and drone attacks.

President Vladimir Putin used his meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to "promote Kremlin narratives feigning interest in peace negotiations", analysts at the Institute for the Study of War say.

The pair signed a joint statement yesterday alluding to Russia's support for the China's proposed peace plan and a possible future Chinese-led negotiation to end the war in Ukraine.

In the statement, they claim both countries support a "sustainable settlement" for the "Ukraine crisis".

The ISW said it has "previously assessed" the Kremlin will "continue to use any calls for peace negotiations to feign interest in negotiations" in the hope of undermining Western support for Ukraine.

Moscow also hopes the West will force Ukraine into negotiations with Russia that make concessions on Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, the ISW added.

'Decisive' relationship

Meanwhile, the institute says, Mr Putin likely views Moscow's relationship with Beijing as "decisive" in his bid to further mobilise the Russian economy and defence industry to support his war in Ukraine.

"Putin and Xi highlighted bilateral trade and economic cooperation throughout their public speeches," the ISW says, adding the Russian delegation includes officials and businessmen.

"The Russian delegation likely aimed to expand cooperation with their Chinese counterparts that will facilitate increased economic ties between Russia and the PRC [People's Republic of China]."

China has previously signalled concerns its economic relationship with Russia may open it up to sanctions, the ISW says, and Mr Putin "likely intends to head off these concerns as the Russian defence industry grows increasingly reliant on the PRC".

Earlier today, we reported how a purported Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at an oil refinery in Krasnodar, Russia.

The blaze has forced an emergency shut down at the facility, owned by Rosneft, two sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters.

According to one source, the drones hit the liquefied petroleum gas production unit while the crude distillation unit remained undamaged. 

"There was no black smoke during the fire. That means it was just the gas burning", a source said.

Russia's state-run TASS news agency reported the fire was extinguished, citing local authorities. 

The Russian defence ministry said air defences downed 44 drones over the Krasnodar region and six over the Belgorod region. 

For context: The Tuapse plant's annual capacity is 12 million metric tons, or 240,000 barrels per day. 

It produces naphtha, fuel oil, vacuum gasoil and high-sulphur diesel, and supplies fuel mainly Turkey, China, Malaysia and Singapore. 

Most Russians would support an end to the war in Ukraine this week - but only if newly-gained territories were not returned.

That's according to  the independent Levada Centre , Russia's best known pollster, which ran a survey to canvass public opinion on Vladimir Putin and the war.

While 71% would back an end to the war "this week", this figure drops to just 30% if the condition for peace were to return territories.

Since September last year, Levada reports the level of support for the Russian army has stayed at about 75%, with older respondents more likely to remain in favour.

Mr Putin's approval rating appears to be at about 82%, the pollster reports.

However, those aged between 18 and 24 appear less likely to back M Putin, with 77% not approving of his activities as president.

Former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko says no one should trust Vladimir Putin when he says he won't invade Russia's second city, Kharkiv.

The Russian leader does not have an opportunity to capture Kharkiv right now due to Ukraine's defensive forces, he said.

But in Vovchansk, where Mr Poroshenko visited yesterday, the town has been turned into "hell" - with no people or houses left.

"Don't trust Putin. Don't be afraid of Putin," he said.

"I can confirm that our strategy shall be as follows: Ukraine shall win, and Russia, undoubtedly, shall lose."

Moscow says it sees the US and UK as responsible for recent attacks because they are allowing Ukraine to use Western weapons against Russian targets.

The Russian foreign ministry said the UK, US, EU and Kyiv were "playing with fire" over attacks on Russian soil, state news agency Tass reports.

Such actions will not go unanswered, it warned.

"Once again, we should like to unequivocally warn Washington, London, Brussels and other Western capitals, as well as Kyiv, which is under their control, that they are playing with fire. Russia will not leave such encroachments on its territory unanswered."

Earlier today, Russia's ambassador to the UK said the UK was a de facto participant in the war.

This was because it has supplied Kyiv with weapons and shared real-time intelligence, said Andrei Kelin.

The number of victims from a reported Russian airstrike has risen, officials say.

At least two people are now said to have died, with another 13 injured - four of whom are in a "serious condition", regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

It is not clear what the attack targeted, but Mr Syniehubov said those injured are civilians.

Reports had initially claimed one person had died and four injured.

Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, and the surrounding region have long been targeted by Russian attacks but the strikes have become more intense in recent months.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Moscow of seeking to reduce the city to rubble.

A Ukrainian drone hit another oil terminal this morning, this time in the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, according to sources and footage shared on social media.

The Importpischeprom oil products terminal and Sheskharis oil harbour were struck, with the port shut soon after the attack.

Oil loadings resumed later from Sheskharis, according to industry sources and LSEG data, while activity at Importpischeprom remains suspended.

It came as Russian officials reported another drone attack on an oil refinery, causing a fire in Tuapse, which is roughly 150km southeast of Novorossiisk.

Both are in the Krasnodar region.

Russian oil pipeline monopoly Transneftdid not reply to a request for comment. Its subsidiary, Novorossiisk Commercial Sea Port Group (NCSP), which operates the Sheskharis oil terminal, declined to comment.

Novorossiisk is Russia's largest port on the Black Sea and is a key oil outlet for crude oil and transit in country's south. It also handles grain, coal, mineral fertilisers, timber, containers, food and chemical cargoes.

Four people have been hurt and at least one has died in an airstrike on the city of Kharkiv, according to local officials.

The regional governor says some of those injured are civilians, while it's reported Russia used guided bombs in the attack.

It's not immediately clear what exactly came under attack.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free