Jennifer Afdahl Rice brings over 25 years of finance experience and 15+ years in charter school financial management. Prior to joining Blueprint, she served as Chief Client Services Officer at CSMC, supporting charter schools as a consultant CFO and leading business development. Her background includes nonprofit lending and banking roles at Harris Bank. Jennifer has held board leadership roles, including President and Treasurer of Community Learning Center Schools, and served on boards and committees for Bread for the World, the Unity Council, and local organizations. She holds a master’s in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago.
A school has won a facilities award—now what? Turning Proposition 2 (Prop 2) and Charter School Fa…A school has won a facilities award—now what? Turning Proposition 2 (Prop 2) and Charter School Facility Incentive Grant Program (Incentive Grant) awards into completed school projects requires far more than securing funding. From Public Contract Code compliance to managing development timelines and avoiding costly missteps, charter leaders must navigate a highly technical process with little margin for error.
This session is designed for charter school leaders, operations staff, and board members seeking practical guidance on moving from award notification to a permanent school facility. Drawing on legal expertise and real world project experience, presenters will walk attendees through the full lifecycle of a state funded facilities project—including fund deployment, compliance requirements, procurement considerations, and common pitfalls that can delay or derail progress.
Participants will hear directly from a seasoned charter facilities attorney and school leaders who have successfully completed Prop 2 and Incentive Grant funded projects. The session will highlight lessons learned, compliance strategies, and decision points that materially affect schedules, budgets, and long term outcomes. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how to responsibly steward public facilities funding, reduce risk, and translate state awards into high quality, permanent campuses that serve under resourced communities.
