NFF backs GALS LA campus expansion with $4.3M loan

Nonprofit Finance Fund supported Girls Athletic Leadership School Los Angeles with financing that helped open a permanent campus in Van Nuys and expand capacity for middle school girls. The project shows how charter-school lending and credit enhancement can unlock facilities for public education.

Why it matters: - NFF’s financing helped GALS LA complete a permanent campus that expands access to tuition-free education for California middle school girls. - The project increased the school’s capacity to 330 students, up 120% from the prior limit. - The financing highlights how charter-school facility loans and credit lines can help public schools bridge funding gaps and build permanent space.

What happened: - In early 2024, NFF’s charter school financing team used a Department of Education credit enhancement grant to support a $4.3 million facility construction loan for GALS LA. - The loan helped finish construction of the school’s permanent campus in Van Nuys, California. - The new 1.27-acre site includes 17 classrooms, a dance studio and administrative offices. - NFF also published a story about GALS LA on its website.

The details: - GALS LA is the only public all-girls middle school in California. - The school was founded around a model that aims to be academically rigorous and deeply affirming for girls. - The school now serves more California middle school girls through its expanded campus. - About 85% of students come from low-income backgrounds. - GALS LA keeps tuition free so cost does not limit access. - Because the school relies on public funding and reimbursements, NFF also provided a line of credit to help bridge timing gaps. - NFF said the project shows how it can combine DOE credit enhancement with specialized lending for innovative public charter schools.

Between the lines: - The deal shows the kind of financial structure charter schools often need to move from temporary space to a permanent campus. - For schools with heavy reliance on public reimbursements, a line of credit can be as important as construction financing. - The expansion also gives GALS LA more room to scale a single-gender model that the school says has grown over the past decade.

What's next: - GALS LA will operate from its newly completed campus as it serves more students. - NFF is continuing to promote its charter-school lending practice and related community development financing. - More information is available in NFF’s story about GALS LA and on NFF’s website.