Charter school operators are looking to share building space with nearly 100 public schools in Miami-Dade County.
Why it matters: Public education advocates say this latest push to expand charter schools could come at the expense of traditional public schools.
Under the state law that sets the rules for campus colocation, school districts are responsible for covering custodial, food, and other service costs.
Driving the news: Last month, Miami-Dade County Public Schools received letters of intent from three charter operators — Mater, KIPP, and Success Academy — requesting to share space on about 90 school campuses, according to records obtained by the nonpartisan Florida Policy Institute.
Between the lines: Success Academy, the largest charter school network in New York, announced plans in September to expand into South Florida. The move is backed by Florida’s expanded Schools of Hope law and financial support from billionaire Ken Griffin.
The Citadel founder and CEO pledged $50 million to support Success Academy’s expansion.
Catch up quick: Added late to a sweeping education package this year, the campus-sharing law allows certain charter schools to move into public schools with low enrollment.
The change expands Florida’s Schools of Hope program, launched in 2017 to encourage high-performing charter schools to open in areas served by low-performing traditional public schools.
Charter schools receive public funding but are often privately operated, sometimes by for-profit companies.
The big picture: Charter operators have submitted nearly 700 letters of intent to 22 school districts across Florida, according to the Florida Policy Institute, which described the policy as “a new unfunded mandate on Florida’s public schools.”
Those letters reference at least 450 schools statewide, with some campuses named by more than one charter operator.
What they’re saying: Miami-Dade school officials have not commented, but public school advocates have strongly criticized the effort.
“This scheme forces taxpayers to fund a separate, privately controlled school system operating rent-free inside public schools,” United Teachers of Dade President Antonio White told the Miami Herald.
Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar called the colocation law “heinous” and said it shows the DeSantis administration is “intent to sell off Florida’s public education system to the highest bidder.”
The other side: Academica, the for-profit firm that manages Mater, said it does not plan to colocate in every school listed in its notices.
“At most, we will open a handful of schools for the 2027–28 school year,” the company said in a statement on its website.
“This is not about replacing or displacing existing schools,” the statement added. “It is about working together to expand public access to underutilized school facilities and creating new educational opportunities for families.”
What’s next: State Sen. Darryl Rouson, D–St. Petersburg, filed a bill last month that would repeal the colocation provision in state law.
So far, the proposal has no companion bill in the House. The legislative session begins in January.
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