JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County parents are raising concerns about the expansion of Florida’s Schools of Hope program, which allows charter schools to co-locate with underutilized traditional public schools.
The law permits charter operators to open schools inside existing public school buildings that have excess capacity, a move that some parents and advocates say threatens local public schools.
Yasmina White, a Duval County public school parent and advocate, said, “Our main concern is that our school board is too quiet.”
White is seeking clarity from the school board on how they plan to respond to the Schools of Hope legislation ahead of the upcoming legislative session.
Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier addressed the issue during a school board report Monday night. He said three organizations have sent letters of intent to operate charters within Duval County schools.
“Very important for the community to know that two of those organizations lacked the designation of a hope operator. So they weren’t even eligible to participate at this time,” Bernier said.
While Bernier did not name the organization they are working with, Jacksonville Today reported in October that Mater Academy plans to open charters inside 25 existing schools. The district’s school choice office has been meeting with Mater Academy as recently as this week.
Bernier emphasized, “I think people need to realize is none of this is actionable until 2027. So it can’t even happen next year. So there’s time and there’s space.”
Despite the timeline, White worries that 2027 is approaching quickly.
“The law is in effect right now. These hope operators are moving quickly. Like Mater Academy, there’s like a turn time that the district has to reply to them. Then they’re supposed to get like maps of our schools and do a walkthrough with the district,” White explained.
District 3 Board Member Cindy Pearson has publicly shared her specific recommendations for the Schools of Hope legislation. She posted a message on Facebook nearly two weeks ago outlining her stance.
White expressed concern that other school board members have not communicated their positions.
“They could still be advocating for charter schools to be in there. And in my opinion, just because a school is a D or an F, that still doesn’t warrant a co-location,” White said.
An attempt to interview Pearson was unsuccessful, but her Facebook post included an email sent to the Duval Delegation with suggestions such as:
- Everyone pays their own way
- Realign the Florida Inventory of School Houses (FISH) to reflect current programs and space needs
- Count prekindergarten students when calculating building utilization
- Affirm local control of school board property
- Limit co-location eligibility to only D or F schools based on Florida Department of Education grades
- Define “material impracticability” so districts and Schools of Hope operators understand objection rules
Parents and community members with concerns about Schools of Hope are encouraged to contact their legislators.