Luz Rivas (D-CA29)

Bright Star Valor Academy is a high-performing charter middle school, founded in 2009. Bright Star Valor Academy is committed to putting every child on a clear path to higher education using proven techniques that include a longer school day, excellent teachers, free tutoring, a disciplined school culture that teaches self-respect, frequent communication with parents, an intense focus on literacy and math, and enriching after school programs. Bright Star Valor Academy is located in Los Angeles, California. At the time of closing, 91% of its students qualified for free or reduced price lunch. LISC provided a $3.00 million leverage loan for a $13 million New Markets Tax Credit transaction to benefit Bright Star Valor Academy. This financing allowed the school to acquire a two-acre site and construct a 31,400 sq. ft. school, which opened in fall of 2015, serving 512 students in grades 5-8 at full capacity.