Aspire’s Modesto Campus, developed on the site of the former SOS
Club, is the innovative social impact fund’s first investment in Modesto
MODESTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Tennis champion Andre Agassi, Turner Impact Capital CEO Bobby Turner,
Aspire Public Schools, Stanislaus County Superintendent of Schools Scott
Kuykendall, and leaders from the Turner-Agassi Charter School Facilities
Fund today celebrated the official opening of a new Aspire Public
Schools campus, home to two charter schools: Aspire University Charter
School, serving grades TK-5, and Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory
Academy, serving grades 6-12. The Aspire Modesto campus was originally
home to the Sportsmen of Stanislaus Club (SOS Club), a beloved Modesto
institution that served the community for 60 years. In its new role as
home to the Aspire public charter school campus, the property continues
its legacy as a community-serving landmark for Modesto.
The 67,000-square-foot campus—a mix of ground-up development and
adaptive reuse—was developed by the Turner-Agassi Charter School
Facilities Fund, a mission-driven social impact investment fund that
provides resources and real estate expertise to high-performing charter
school operators across the nation, enabling them to access top-quality
facilities. The Modesto campus is the first charter school campus opened
by the partnership between the fund and Aspire.
Aspire University Charter School and Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory
Academy moved to the campus in September 2018. Together, the schools
will serve approximately 1,000 students at maturity.
Aspire Public Schools’ mission is to open and operate small,
high-quality public charter schools in low-income neighborhoods in order
to increase the academic performance of underserved students, develop
effective educators, share successful practices, and catalyze change in
public schools. Now in its 20th year, Aspire Public Schools serves
17,000 students in 40 schools across California and Tennessee. Aspire is
on track to expand its reach to serve 20,000 students by 2022.
“We are thrilled to formally open the new Aspire Public Schools campus
in Modesto,” said Tony Solina, Central Valley Region Area Superintendent
for Aspire Public Schools. “We are especially thankful for our
partnership with Turner-Agassi, who have been instrumental in our
ability to open this new campus and provide our students in grades TK-12
with the top-notch facilities they need to thrive.”
Securing high-quality, long-term facilities is often one of the greatest
impediments faced by charter school leaders. Turner-Agassi provides
resources, development experience and a passion for educational
excellence to help top school operators focus on their first priority:
helping students succeed.
“Aspire Public Schools is a proven charter operator, making an enormous
difference in the lives of thousands of students in under-resourced
neighborhoods,” said Bobby Turner, the fund’s Co-Managing Partner as
well as Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Turner Impact Capital.
“The new Modesto campus will expand Aspire’s impact, and most
importantly, provide students with a modern, dynamic campus that
provides the resources they need to succeed.”
A joint venture of Turner Impact Capital and Agassi Ventures,
Turner-Agassi is backed by a world-class group of institutional
investors who share a commitment to effecting positive societal change
in urban centers across the United States. To date, 105 schools have
been developed or are in development across the country, serving 57,000
students in communities such as North Philadelphia, Newark, the Bronx,
Southwest Detroit, South Dallas, and North Las Vegas.
“The new Aspire campus in Modesto is a game-changer for Aspire students
and faculty,” said Andre Agassi, the fund’s Co-Managing Partner and CEO
of Agassi-Graf Holdings and the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education.
“By securing a modern campus with excellent facilities, students are
able to focus on learning and achieving their highest potential.”
“It is a joy to see so many students receiving an excellent education in
world-class facilities,” said Superintendent Scott Kuykendall. “The
partnership between Aspire Public Schools and the Turner-Agassi Charter
School Facilities Fund provides a fantastic school experience for
thousands of Modesto students and families. We look forward to
continuing to see these students achieve great things.”
The Aspire campus includes new classrooms, arts and science rooms, a
gym, play space, tennis courts, and more.
The Turner-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund takes the lead in site
selection, acquisition, design and construction for new school
facilities, which are then leased back to school operators, who can
purchase their schools once they reach full occupancy. The fund intends
to help operators obtain permanent financing using New Market Tax
Credits, tax-exempt bond offerings or funding from the U.S. Treasury’s
Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.
“Turner-Agassi is committed to providing best-in-class charter school
operators with access to high-quality facilities,” said Glenn Pierce,
President of Education Initiatives at Turner Impact Capital. “We are
proud to combine our real estate knowledge with Aspire’s education
expertise to create a state-of-the-art campus for hundreds of students
in Modesto.”
About the Turner-Agassi Charter School
Facilities Fund
The Turner-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund is the nation’s largest
fund solely designed to accelerate the growth of high-performing, urban
charter schools. Since its inception in 2011, the original fund and its
successor have developed 105 schools serving the needs of 57,000
students throughout the United States. With dedicated funding from
preeminent social impact investors, the fund is in active discussions to
build even more seats in the near future. For more information, please
visit www.turnerimpact.com.
About Aspire Public Schools
Aspire Public Schools’ mission is to open and operate small,
high-quality charter schools in low-income neighborhoods, in order to:
increase the academic performance of underserved students; develop
effective educators; share successful practices with other
forward-thinking educators; and catalyze change in public schools. Our
vision is that every student is prepared to earn a college degree. Now
in its 20th year, Aspire Public Schools serves 17,000 students in 40
schools across California and Memphis, Tennessee. As we look ahead, we
are on a trajectory to expand our reach to serve 20,000 students by 2022.
Contacts
Molly Hogin
(310) 251-5360 | [email protected]
