PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — State lawmakers are working to pass two different bills to make establishing charter schools easier in Florida.
House Bill 123 and Senate Bill 140 would eliminate a requirement forcing charter schools to get approval from 50% of teachers before converting a public school to a charter school among other changes.
Nonpartisan staff with the Florida House of Representatives said the current requirements include a vote of at least 50% of teachers employed at the school and a vote of 50% of the parents with children enrolled at the school.
WATCH: Educators share the importance of having all stakeholders involved in approval process
Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar, who leads the state’s largest teachers’ union, said charter schools generally pay teachers lower salaries. He said he believes charter schools are trying to eliminate an obstacle to establishing schools.
“They’re trying to eliminate an obstacle for them to make money,” Spar said. “I think it’s that simple. This is all about money in my mind.”
He said he believes all stakeholders of a school should get a vote in their school.
“Everyone who works in a school or operates in a school should have a say because it impact everyone,” Spar said.
According to the latest data from the Florida Department of Education, charter schools serve 12% of the enrollment in public schools. It also said charter school enrollment has more than doubled over the last decade. During the 2022-2023 school year, 23 conversion charter schools operated in Florida, representing approximately 3 percent of the total number of charter schools in the state.
State Senator Don Gaetz, R-Pensacola, said the bill will would empower parents while helping areas to attract business investments
“It also provides an attraction to those industries that may be saying, I’ll come into that area but we gotta do a little bit better at education for our kids,” he said on a March 17 committee meeting.
Inlet Grove, a tuition free charter school in Riviera Beach, held a ceremony ground breaking event on Thursday.
Principal Francisco Lopez said the school was supposed to be a high school and middle school, but challenges with the size of their facilities held back the goal for years. He said he hopes the middle school will force other schools to improve.
“Charter schools and private schools are competing for those students,” Lopez said. “They have to elevate their offering.”
The school is hosting an open house next Thursday for prospective students. According to a news release the middle school will allow students to “skip” eighth grade and go directly into high school. It also said it will offer training in culinary arts, computer science and medical services.
WPTV asked incoming middle school principal Tonja Latson about the bills in the legislature. She said it’s important to include teachers in these conversations.
“I believe all stakeholders should have an opportunity to vote because the teachers have different perspective than the parents,” Latson said.
Lopez said it’s important teachers along with the entire community have “buy in” to support a charter school.
“When you open a school, your product will speak for itself and the parents and teachers will have a say and they will make that organization successful or not,” he said.
