Public Schools
Experienced attorneys. Peck Shaffer’s experience in education finance is both broad and deep. We have extensive experience in bond counsel work for every type of school district – city (large urban and suburban), local (small town and rural), joint vocational schools and career centers. We have worked with many financing structures---including unusual or infrequent types, such as QZABs, lease-purchase arrangements and pooled financings. We also provide counsel on general financing matters to our school clients. Furthermore, we serve as
underwriter's counsel for public school issues around the country.
Reasonable cost. Bond issues and tax levy proceedings are not billed on an hourly basis, so a school district client gets the full amount of time and attention required to have questions answered and projects completed, knowing in advance that the charge for the project will be certain and thus can be accurately budgeted. We do not have an "on the clock" mentality, so we can provide fully professional service with a generous amount of personal attention to the client.
Tax practice. We also have a strong tax practice, with partners and associate attorneys dedicated to providing the most up-to-date advice on tax issues. On one recent financing, our tax department obtained a special ruling from federal tax authorities to assure compliance with investment and spending regulations.
Assistance with "red tape." We are frequently in contact with state officials who monitor school finance projects and thus we can assist with any issues between our school district clients and such officials. Literally hundreds of times each year, we assist school districts to prepare and implement both voted and unvoted options to provide for operating costs of school facilities that have been financed.
Assistance with disclosure requirements. We have implemented a system to assist school district debt issuers in making required disclosures to the secondary market, thereby supporting underwriters’ continuing ability to underwrite school finance (
see "SECURITIES AND DISCLOSURE").
Our reputation in the education community. Peck Shaffer attorneys are frequent speakers and panelists at conferences at which school officials are attendees, and we are generally available before and after such sessions to address individual questions or requests for information. We are available, through our website (attorneys identified as school finance attorneys) and by means of our toll-free phone number, to confer as frequently and at whatever length it takes to address the concerns of our clients.
Personal approach. The very personal approach we take with representatives of the school clients with whom we work results in our treating them and the issues with which they are coping as if they were our own families or close personal friends.
