Private placement financing is a debt or capital lease obligation arranged between a municipality or a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization and a single sophisticated institutional investor. The investor can be a bank, insurance company, finance company, hedge fund, or high-net worth individual. Private placement financing is similar to…

A year ago, only a handful of K-12 schools and universities had integrated tablets into their curricula. Today, not one week passes with out another iPad rollout announcement. The reasons that schools use tablets are as varied as the schools themselves. Hawaii Preparatory Academy uses iPads to encourage budding physicists, linguists, and…

A movement is building that favors creating a national network of high-quality early education and care systems that begin at birth. It makes sense. Promoting positive early learning experiences, healthy caregivers, and a connection between families and community resources can reverse rising rates of expulsion, high school dropouts, and the need…

Public investors can lower commissions through investment autonomy, that is, implementing the investment decision process without outside input. Details some techniques for fine-tuning the investment process. (MLF)

Information about tax-sheltered annuity plans and a questionnaire to assist in the evaluation of companies that provide a fixed annuity. (Author/MLF)

Describes several factors related to investing in educational technology: Total cost of ownership, availability of qualified information technology staff, support and planning, and outside resources. (PKP)

Discusses different types of capital financing programs useful for financing loss funding and questions whether capital risk financing has a place in government risk management programing. (MD)

A well-designed investment program can help administrators get the most out of public dollars and other available resources. (Author)

Discusses the risk factors involved in the development of energy efficient projects in schools. Defines the nature of the risks and provides an outline for managing risks through alternative financing. (MD)

A Collateralized Mortgage Obligation (CMO) is a specially designed multiclass, pay-through bond. Explains CMOs and how their purchase can enhance a district's portfolio. (MLF)

Discusses a Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) publication designed to provide financial statement users with information to assess a government's actual and future deposit and investment market and credit risk. (MLF)

Basic components of a New Jersey district's profitable cash management program include consolidating funds using a negotiated bank agreement, a short term investment policy, accurate flowcharts for precise planning, and revenue and expenditure analysis. Data collection and analysis and the alternative of using a bank service agreement are…

A cash-flow plan allows districts lead time for investing, borrowing, reducing or delaying expenditures, expanding revenue sources, informing the community, and avoiding surprises. Planners should identify type, timing, and amount of revenues and expenditures and then compare revenues and expenditures to determine (and accommodate) shortfalls or…

The primary objective of a public cash management policy should include safety, liquidity, yield, and legality. Contains a cash management policy/procedure checklist, a test for cash managers, and a formula for calculating the rate of return. (MLF)