Opposition is mounting against Schools of Hope, an initiative that allows charter school operators to use vacant or underused district facilities they deem to be underperforming.
The United Teachers of Dade, NAACP’s Miami-Dade Branch, and the Miami-Dade County Council of PTA/PTSA pushed back in a November meeting against Schools of Hope’s "co-location" initiatives, arguing that these efforts will jeopardize both the economic health and community oversight of public schools.
“Schools are already having challenges,” said Daniella Pierre, president of the Miami-Dade NAACP. “Now you're going to bring in these operators to coexist, oftentimes with little to no oversight. They're going to be able to get this space on the backs of the people, and that's not right.”
(X@GovRonDeSantis)
Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Miami in September to celebrate Success Academy's expansion to the city.
With the charter network looking to expand into South Florida in the coming years, coalition leaders are calling for community backing and putting their support behind SB 424, a bill that would bar Schools of Hope from co-locating within public school districts.
LAWMAKERS CHANGE THE GAME
Founded in 2017 to address persistently low-performing public schools, the Schools of Hope program allows qualified nonprofit charter operators to open facilities within struggling schools or in low-income "opportunity zones,” giving parents an alternative for their children’s education.
(Rafael Hernandez for The Biscayne Times)
Florida PTA President-elect Jude Bruno during the press conference at Shadowlawn Elementary School.
In September, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced expansions to Florida’s Schools of Hope law, allowing operators to set up shop in public schools while changing the criteria for what qualifies as a low-performing school.
DeSantis has been a strong advocate for school choice policies and charter school expansion, most recently by supporting New York City-based charter school network Success Academy, which will open its first campus in Miami-Dade County in 2027.
“In Miami-Dade County, there was not a single school that was defined as low performing, which we know isn’t accurate,” said a Success Academy spokesperson during a Zoom meeting. “They redefined that under the law, so instead of just being this very narrow definition, now it catches schools at the bottom 10% year over year.”
(M-DCPS)
Mari Tere Rojas and Monica Colucci were reappointed as chair and vice-chair of the Miami-Dade County Public School Board last Wednesday.
With these changes in effect, school districts will be required to provide charter schools with rent-free space while also making taxpayers cover security, custodial services, and cafeteria costs.
According to the Florida Policy Institute, 22 school districts in Florida have already received at least 690 letters of intent from charter school operators, with at least 450 schools being notified.
WHO REALLY BENEFITS?
In a press conference held outside Shadowlawn Elementary School in Miami, education advocates questioned whether the Schools of Hope law was necessary.
“Let's stop pretending this is about fixing failing schools because the data tells a different story," said Dannielle Boyer, vice president of United Teachers of Dade. "The majority of schools targeted for co-location are successful, stable public schools, earning A or B ratings, demonstrating strong gains and staffed by educators."
(Daniella Pierre via LinkedIn)
“They're going to be able to get this space on the backs of the people, and that's not right.” - Miami-Dade NAACP President Daniella Pierre
Advocates held firm despite recent law changes, stressing that co-location would put more strain on schools that are already struggling with funding and enrollment declines.
“This is an unfunded mandate from the state,” said Florida PTA President-elect Jude Bruno. “Now, you're telling us we have to take care of another school in the same building without the necessary funding. Folks, that doesn't make sense. We wouldn't tolerate it with our own homes.”
Still, Success Academy says its presence in public schools could lead to an increase in funding, allowing them to qualify for increased "capital outlay full-time equivalent" funds given by the state that will grow with schools’ head counts.
With these funds, Success Academy estimates that district facilities may see an increase of $2,000 per child, offsetting the financial burden on the part of taxpayers.
(X@JudeBruno)
“This is an unfunded mandate from the state... We wouldn't tolerate it with our own homes.” -Florida PTA President-elect Jude Bruno
“People have talked about this as being, in some ways, an unfunded mandate. We just want to make it clear that you understood and that others understood the new capital outlay funding that’s made available to them,” the spokesperson said.
But to Bruno, it may not be enough. Maintenance of the funds will still fall to schools who did not ask for the increased workload, and how any funding increases will be used in co-located schools remains up in the air.
“There is some ambiguity that we think would have to be addressed, but what we understand to be clear based on the law, based on the state board rule that went into effect on Nov. 11, it's the school district that’s on the hook, and they don’t get capital outlay funds,” said Bruno.
EYES ON THE BOARD
With the re-election of Mari Tere Rojas and Monica Colucci as chair and vice-chair of the Miami-Dade County School Board Nov. 19, how they will respond to the Schools of Hope initiative is unclear. Neither board member responded to a request for comment.
Other boards like Orange and Seminole County have recently rejected some Schools of Hope applications, calling the arrangements “double dipping” since charters receive funding but districts still pay facility and operational costs.
Pierre, who called for a greater degree of representation within the school board, hopes Miami-Dade will follow their lead, joining with the community to oppose what she believes will change South Florida’s public schools for the worse.
“This will be a two and threefold effort,” she said. “Community coming together, school districts coming together, and of course, additional stakeholders who support public education coming together to take a stand concerning hands off our public classrooms and land.”