Doing more with less is noble in public education. This is something quality public charter schools do well. It is also something, that cash-strapped rural and high need schools across Idaho know all too well themselves. It is well documented that all of public education in Idaho operates on leaner rations than do schools in most parts of the United States. In a 2016 report, "Building Excellence: How Helping Charters Access Facilities Can Improve Opportunities for Idaho Kids," Bellwether researchers found that limited access to financing was one of the major barriers public charter school leaders face in securing a school facility. As a result, charters spend operational dollars on facilities expenses and too often operate in spaces that make it more challenging to offer the educational programming they envision or believe their students need. Idaho policymakers need to address the facilities challenges facing its public schools, both district and charter, across the state. An analysis of recent district and charter school construction project surfaced three key themes: (1) Charter schools' facilities have similar per-square-foot costs, but lower per-seat costs due to compromises and creative shortcuts; conversely, district costs are higher; (2) Districts can have trouble passing bonds/levies due to the supermajority requirement, which demands more from district leaders to explain their requests to taxpayers and earn their support; and (3) There are lessons and insights that districts and charters can learn from each other, but even with the best local practices, there is a larger role for the state to play in funding public school facilities. This report aims to help policymakers assess the nature of the challenges that charter schools and district schools face in financing school facilities. The report begins with an overview of the current status of public school facilities funding in Idaho. It then compares recent charter and district school facilities construction projects, highlighting key differences in cost and amenities. Next, it provides lessons learned from interviewing charter and district leaders about the facilities-related challenges they face. The report concludes with key recommendations for Idaho's legislators to consider as they work to support schools in accessing high-quality facilities. [Foreword by Terry Ryan and Marc Carignan. For "Building Excellence: How Helping Charters Access Facilities Can Improve Opportunities for Idaho Kids," see ED577705.]