Endazhi-Nitaawiging “The Place Where it Grows” Charter School
Red Lake, Minnesota
In August 2023, Civic Builders allocated $13 million of New Markets Tax Credits to support the construction of a 30,000-square-foot facility for Endazhi-Nitaawiging Charter School in Red Lake, Minnesota. The school opened for the 2022-2023 school year, initially serving students in grades K-5, 100% of whom are low-income and students of color. The school will add a grade each year until reaching full K-8 capacity by the 2025-2026 school year. This is the first charter school opened in a new facility on indigenous land.
The school’s strategy is to reverse several alarming community trends. Only 10% of Red Lake Nation students are proficient in reading and 2% are proficient in math, compared with statewide proficiency scores of 50% and 46%, respectively.
Absenteeism is high, and the graduation rate of 23% is unacceptably low. Endazhi-Nitaawiging Charter School is now reversing these trends – most recent data indicates that reading and math proficiencies are three times higher than comparable district school options.
Endazhi-Nitaawiging Charter School also partners with Native American Community Academy Inspired Schools Network to ensure that western subjects are thoroughly indigenized, meaning that American History is taught from the point of view of Native nations. The building includes 12 classrooms, art and music rooms, a STEM room, a full kitchen, two SPED rooms (classrooms designed for students with special needs), and an elders’ room for tribal elders.
Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Civic Builders allocated $20 million of New Markets Tax Credits to support the construction of a new facility for Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy (HFCA) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin which will open for the 2024-2025 school year. HFCA is named after Dr. Howard Fuller, a lifelong civil rights activist and leader in the U.S. education sector. In 2004, Dr. Fuller founded HFCA as a school led by African Americans serving African American students.
HFCA’s mission is to send its scholars to and through college and engage them in a vibrant culture of mentoring, challenging academics, and early college experiences. A majority of HFCA’s scholars receive free and reduced lunch, and will be the first in their families to attend college. Every year since 2012, 100% of HFCA’s graduates have been accepted into college. The school’s new facility will include two science labs, a maker space, art and choir rooms, a fitness classroom, as well as a music and podcast suite.
Dr. Howard Fuller was the recipient of the Leadership Award at Civic Builders’ 2023 Benefit, honoring his inspiring commitment to civil rights and education.
Achievement First Linden Middle School
Brooklyn, New York
Achievement First serves K-12 students across 41 schools, including 24 schools in New York City. The school network’s mission is to prepare students to deepen their knowledge of self and community, to excel at college, career, and life, and to lead lives of purpose and leadership.
Like many growing charter schools, Achievement First Linden initially opened in an incubation space which presented challenges to school culture due to the limited size of classrooms. The school partnered with Civic Builders’ real estate development team to build a brand new facility uniquely designed to fit the needs of its students and staff in fall 2023.
This marks the second Achievement First building developed by Civic Builders. The new facility, intentionally located near public transportation, includes 15 classrooms, a gymnasium, art and music rooms, a science lab, and multiple teacher workrooms. The design prioritizes natural light, creating bright and welcoming spaces where students can thrive.
A prominent highlight of this project was our collaboration with Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) on key aspects of the design and construction to achieve a 22% MWBE spend. This is more than 4 times higher than the average MWBE spend of 5% on construction projects in New York City. Despite a pattern of historic discrimination largely continuing across NYC, the Civic team is proud to forge partnerships that support greater diversity and equity.
REACH Academy Charter School
Buffalo, New York
Located in Buffalo, New York, REACH Academy Charter School (REACH) serves a student population of 97% eligible for free or reduced lunch – 15% higher than the district average. In order to help students overcome the barriers of poverty, REACH provides authentic, experiential learning opportunities that students might otherwise not be exposed to. In order to serve more students, REACH needed more space. The school purchased a nearby building but needed a loan to fund necessary renovations. In April 2023, REACH received a $16 million Facilities Investment Fund loan to transform the building into a vibrant, innovative school.
The three-story building features 25 large classrooms, a gymnasium, library, cafeteria, as well as music and art rooms. REACH school buildings feature unique, themed classrooms that support student-centered learning via immersive experiences, from exploring space in a planetarium, to navigating a bustling supermarket, to embarking on wilderness adventures at a campsite.
South Bronx Classical IV
Bronx, New York
Classical Charter Schools (Classical) is a network of high-performing K-8 schools in the South Bronx, and a four-time recipient of the coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools award, given to schools whose students achieve outstanding academic excellence. Classical originally partnered with Civic Builders in 2018 for the construction of their fourth school, South Bronx Classical IV, which was completed in 2020.
In 2023, Civic Builders sold the school building to Classical for $26.6 million which was $1.5 million below the original cost to build the school. By utilizing Civic’s purchase option, Classical was not only able to attain ownership of this asset but is now projected to reduce their overall occupancy costs by $480,000 every year of future occupancy. These savings have granted Classical long-term financial certainty and the ability to reinvest facilities savings back into the classroom, enabling the school to expand its staff and enhance resources for its students.
