JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A state bill could significantly impact how school districts buy or sell property, prompting reactions from Duval County parents and leaders.
SB 140, which relates to charter schools, would require school districts to approve a five-year plan before acquiring or selling property. Additionally, districts would need to consider enrollment trends before making such transactions.
Duval County Public Schools headquarters is currently in the process of being sold. Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier expressed concerns about the bill’s potential complications for the district’s relocation efforts during Tuesday’s school board meeting.
“It just doesn’t make any sense if you want to get off the river, I have to have a place to go,” Bernier said.
The bill could complicate the buying, selling, or acquiring of property. State Sen. Don Gaetz, the bill’s sponsor, explained its implications during a Community Affairs committee meeting on Monday.
“45 of the state’s 67 school districts have consistently declining enrollment,” Gaetz said. “This bill provides that if the State Board of Education deems property to be surplus, it can be used for affordable housing, for teachers, first responders, or military service members, or for charter school facilities or recreation facilities.”
Bernier said during his school board report that the bill’s language would prevent the school board from even receiving offers for property. He noted that the district has been working with local representatives in Tallahassee to amend the bill to better support the school district’s needs.
“I have to have a place to take the employees who are here and a place to work,” Bernier said. “This bill prevents us from doing that. It was described by one of our elected officials as sometimes Tallahassee takes out the sledgehammer when it only needs a scalpel. We agreed, so there is movement afoot to make some changes that would allow large urban school districts, which will experience population growth in different areas, to continue to buy and acquire property, even if they’ve had decreasing enrollment.”
Katie Hathaway, a Duval County parent, voiced her frustrations with the bill during the public comment section of the discussion on Monday. She believed the bill prioritized charter schools over public schools.
“Districts need to maintain local control and the flexibility to strategically consolidate schools and purchase new property in rapidly growing areas where families need access to well-funded public schools,” Hathaway said. “If you truly care about eliminating waste and being responsible with our tax dollars, then all limitations imposed on a district due to enrollment should be applied evenly to all publicly funded schools, and that includes charters.”
Two other speakers and two individuals who waived their right to speak opposed the bill, while three supporters did not speak. Ultimately, the bill passed the committee by a vote of 7 to 1, having previously passed the Education Pre-K through 12 committee by a vote of 5 to 3. Gaetz defended his position at the close of the discussion.
“The bill is not a bill to expand charter schools as they exist, to allow any corporations to come in and buy any schools, or to require that any existing schools be turned over to any outside organizations,” Gaetz said.
Bernier announced that “for sale” signs will soon be posted on the district headquarters building. The bill is now in the rules committee.
If the law passes, it would take effect on July 1.
