Florida greenlights charter schools to share space with public schools under new expansion plan

Florida’s board of education on Wednesday approved a major expansion of charter schools in the state. The move allows privately run schools to operate inside traditional public school campuses, according to the Associated Press.The expansion is an effort by the state officials to broaden school choice in a state long considered a national model for conservative education policy. It comes as some public schools struggle with declining enrollments, aging infrastructure, and learning gaps that have persisted since the pandemic. Several districts have faced difficult decisions about consolidating campuses or cutting programs due to fewer students and limited funding.The new regulations build on a law signed earlier this year by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. It allows operators to open more “schools of hope.” These charter schools are designed to serve students from persistently low-performing schools. They provide alternative educational options in neighborhoods where public schools have historically struggled.“We have operators that want to come in and give the best education to those who are in schools that haven’t been getting the greatest education,” Republican state Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka said while defending the bill on the House floor, according to the Associated Press. “Let’s give them the opportunity.”The schools of hope program was first established in 2017 to encourage publicly funded, privately run schools to open in areas where traditional public schools have struggled for years. The updated law loosens restrictions on where these schools can operate. They can now co-locate within public school campuses, even high-performing ones, if facilities are underused or vacant.Under the board’s new regulations, public school districts must provide charter schools with the same facilities-related services they provide their own campuses. This includes custodial work, maintenance, school safety, food service, nursing, and student transportation. Districts are also required to allow charter schools to use “all or part of an educational facility at no cost,” including classrooms and administrative offices.Education officials say the expansion gives students more options. It also makes use of existing school facilities more efficiently. Advocates argue that the approach allows communities to support more tailored learning environments while maximizing taxpayer resources. Critics have raised concerns that co-locating charter schools could disrupt public school operations and divert resources from students in existing schools. State leaders argue that the changes will help address long-standing inequities in school access and quality.The Associated Press reported that officials plan to monitor implementation closely. They want to ensure that charter schools and public schools can operate effectively within the same campus. As charter schools begin sharing space with public schools, the state will likely face both opportunities and challenges in balancing resources, oversight, and community expectations.