As some of the first schools to open their doors post-Katrina, the founding members of the Eastbank Collaborative of Charter Schools helped set the path for the emergence of independent charters in Orleans Parish. The additional costs associated with the independence of being a charter school – bearing the responsibility of legal, security, communications, teacher recruiting, transportation, cafeteria and other services – were recognized as obligations that could potentially affect the availability of resources in the classroom. Bolstered by start-up funds from Baptist Community Ministries, the member schools were able to obtain economies of scale for the delivery of such services by forming the ECCS, gaining negotiating leverage as a group rather than having to carry the financial burden individually. This means more resources are focused on student needs rather than administrative costs.