Schools of Hope is a statewide program created in 2017 as a way to draw more privately run charter schools to areas where public schools were underperforming, designed to help struggling public schools and give families an alternative if their school wasn’t doing well.
Recently, lawmakers expanded the program, allowing charter schools to co-locate inside a traditional public school even if it’s performing well, if the campus has vacancies or is under-enrolled as deemed by the state.
Essentially, two different schools could operate under one building— one publicly controlled and one private.
School districts would have to foot the bill for these privately operated charter schools.
Proponents argue this falls under parental choice and gives families options in schools that are being underused and are underperforming.
Critics of these changes argue it would take limited resources from already struggling public schools in a time when school funding has been an issue.
“These charter schools can go now into the public school and use the public school facilities," said Daniela Simic, who is a parent of a 4th grader in Hillsborough County. "It’s scary for parents who are sending their kids to a public school to think like, 'Now I’m going to start losing funding at my public school, so that I can pay for another school to be using our facilities?'”
School districts across Tampa Bay have gotten letters from private charter school operators, under the new Schools of Hope rules, requesting to occupy certain schools, including in Hillsborough County.
“I want the public to know this team, our team has been very aggressive around Schools of Hope and our opportunities,” said Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Van Ayres.
Multiple Hillsborough County School Board members have shared their concerns.
The topic came up at the Nov.18 school board meeting.
“There is a process that we go through with Schools of Hope and I want the public to know that this team, our legal team, we will be very, we take this very seriously,” said Ayres.
At that meeting last month, the school board voted 5-2 in favor of presenting a proclamation aimed at raising public awareness about Schools of Hope.
The board will present and discuss that proclamation at Tuesday’s meeting.
It lists some concerns that the board has as well as urges the Florida Legislature to amend the statue. Part of what the board is requesting is that a School of Hope pay the district for the services they want to utilize like custodial, maintenance, safety, food and transportation.
The meeting starts at 4 p.m.
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