An Afton Partners Blog
The Context: Inequitable access to quality school facilities Throughout the country, most charter school organizations obtain permanent school facilities without a supporting tax base, government credit ratings, or full access to available properties. High-poverty communities and neighborhoods of color have less access to capital and networks of support. This can make the process of opening… Continued
At a time when many external forces create added financial complexity, school board finance committees can be an invaluable resource for mission impact and long-term sustainability. At Afton Partners, we advise our charter school partners to follow the framework of the “5 Cs” when developing and evolving their organization’s financial governance. The “5 Cs”– Charge,… Continued
Afton updates tried-and-true methods to uncover meaningful insights In 2023, the Washington D.C. Office of the Deputy Mayor of Education (DME) sought to re-examine how schools in D.C. are funded and how the existing funding structures serve students. Over the past several years, D.C. has made great strides toward adequate and equitable funding, striving to… Continued
At Afton, we have been reflecting on the concept of financial stewardship, meaning how charter schools handle resources like money, assets, and talent to enable great outcomes. We believe effective financial stewardship consists of three major pillars: Enacting your mission through resource allocation, Protecting your money with controls and governance, and Making good resource decisions that… Continued