In August of 2026, American Preparatory Academies d/b/a Utah Charter Academies (UCA) closed a $71.1 million financing to expand their operations into Salem and Eagle Mountain, as well as fund an auditorium at their West Valley 2 campus.
UCA initially formed in 2003 and currently operates seven schools in Utah serving over 5400 students in K-12. When Eagle Mountain opens it will have eight schools. UCA is a classical, liberal arts charter school dedicated to providing content-rich curriculum and research-based instructional methodologies to allow its students to achieve academic success and to develop good character. It follows the classical education model of the Trivium, respecting the grammatical, logical, and rhetorical phases of learning and development, and applying those principals in the classroom. In addition to a rigorous academic program, which puts UCA among the top schools in Utah for academic results, it offers a full gamet of extracurricular activities including sports, various music programs (chorus, orchestra), and other performing arts. UCA is managed by American Preparatory Schools, which his responsible for the curriculum, hiring of personnel, and capital plans including real estate expansion.
The West Valley 2 expansion will provide 11 additional classrooms and a performing arts auditorium. The Salem expansion funded the purchase of adjacent land and will also fund construction of a building and gym that will expand the school from K-9 to K-12, with the new facility housing grades 7-12. The Eagle Mountain expansion includes the purchase of land and the construction of the initial facility for 630 students in grades K-6.
Buck Financial Advisors LLC served as municipal advisor to UCA for the transaction. Robert W Baird served as underwriter, Chapman & Cutler as bond counsel, Farnsworth Johnson as borrower’s counsel, Quarles & Brady LLP as underwriter’s counsel, and Zions Public Finance, Inc. as municipal advisor to the issuer. With this issue, Buck Financial has closed just under $7 billion in charter school financings.
Congratulations to the students, staff and families of Utah Charter Academies.