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Officials raise concerns over ‘Schools of Hope’ charter expansion
Orange County school board members say a state plan allowing "Schools of Hope" charter operators to take over unused classrooms in public schools could financially harm the district and its students.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Orange County school board members say a state plan allowing "Schools of Hope" charter operators to take over unused classrooms in public schools could financially harm the district and its students.
The board spent about two hours Monday discussing the proposal, which would permit charter operators to run classes inside under-capacity public schools.
Local perspective:
Under the state’s rules, local districts would be required to cover the cost of maintaining those classrooms, even though they would be operated by charter staff.
Schools of Hope are charter schools designed to provide alternatives for students attending low-performing campuses. You can read a more detailed description of the program below.
Florida currently has six such operators. Supporters argue that the model gives families more options, but board members in Orange County expressed overwhelming concern.
District officials say three Schools of Hope operators have applied to run classes in 54 Orange County schools. All applications have been denied so far.
What they're saying:
Chair Teresa Jacobs said the plan could drain public school resources.
"The only concern I have is that it’s so confusing and so unbelievable that very few people will realize how bad the situation is," Jacobs said. "It’s not just somebody else’s kids losing out — it’s your kids’ expense."
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The discussion comes as the State Board of Education expands its push to place charter operators in unused public school space across Florida.
What is the 'Schools of Hope' program?
Dig deeper:
Florida’s "Schools of Hope" program allows certain charter operators to run schools aimed at serving students from persistently low-performing campuses.
A School of Hope must serve students from one or more chronically low-performing schools and be located either within that school’s attendance zone or within a five-mile radius, whichever is greater. The school must also qualify for Title I funding.
To qualify as a "hope operator," an organization must be a nonprofit with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and operate at least three charter schools serving K–12 students in Florida or other states. The State Board of Education designates hope operators based on several performance and financial criteria.
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According to the state, a hope operator’s record must meet or exceed key benchmarks, including student achievement levels above district and state averages and, when available, college attendance rates above 80% across its schools. At least 70% of students enrolled in its schools must be eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and the organization must be in good standing with all authorizing agencies. Audited financial statements must show no material misstatements or concerns about its ability to continue operating. The board may also consider additional outcome measures.
An organization can also qualify if it received a federal Charter School Program grant for replication or expansion within the past three years, receives funding through the Charter School Growth Fund, or is selected by a district school board under state law.
Florida currently has six designated hope operators: Mater Academy, RCMA, Democracy Prep Public Schools, Inc., IDEA Public Schools, Success Academy, Renaissance/Warrington Preparatory Academy, and KIPP New Jersey.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Orange County School Board and the Florida Department of Education.