Charter Real Estate
You know who really loves the charter school movement? According to the Wall Street Journal, real estate investors are just loving the growth of the charter school biz.
There's a real estate boom that comes attached to charter growth. In LA, I've watched a huge new charter go up on a several-lot parcel across the street from my son's apartment building in Koreatown. It doesn't look cheap. But according to the WSJ piece, it's extra-popular to buy and convert it into school space-- McDonalds meets education meets Flip This House.
This can happen because of the ready availability of money. The article quotes the VP of Highmark School Development: "There's no shortage of cash."
Highmark School Development is a good example of the kind of players working this part of the business. They were founded in Utah in 2005, then grabbed up by Stephens Capital Partners in 2008 (that group appears to be headquartered in Little Rock). The Highmark mission?
HighMark School Development will drive educational excellence by developing world-class educational facility solutions while exceeding the expectations of our clients, investors, partners and associates.
Their vision?
HighMark will be recognized as the premier developer of school facilities in the United States. We will seek to partner with schools that are well positioned for growth, demonstrate strong and CURMUDGUCATION: Charter Real Estate: "Charter Real Estate"