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Abstract: 

This article presents a series of “mock” class sections illustrated by charts discussing credit trends within the independent and charter school sectors. Education 101 provides an overview of both markets, considering such topics as funding, accountability, and management quality. Finance 101 covers some of the key benchmarks and measures that analysts use in evaluating independent school and charter school credits. Investment 101 introduces both a pricing aspect and a market aspect into the equation and highlights the yield potential for holding paper in either sector. The article concludes by considering an investor’s typical experience in the independent school and charter school markets and identifies the potential pitfalls that exist. This article is based on the author’s presentation in the panel on New Trends in Education Finance, K–12 at the Twentieth Annual Conference of the National Federation of Municipal Analysts in Chicago, Illinois, April 30–May 2, 2003.

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Affiliations:  1: Fitch Ratings.