Florida education leaders propose changes to controversial ‘Schools of Hope’ law

'Schools of Hope' changes proposed

Florida education leaders are proposing tighter rules for "Schools of Hope" charter schools after critics said the program created chaos and panic in districts across the state. FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer reports. 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida education leaders are proposing tighter rules for "Schools of Hope" Charter Schools after critics said the program created chaos and panic in districts across the state. 

What we know:

Critics had a series of concerns, but at the top of the list: The new law didn't clearly define what classifies a public school as "under-utilized," which allowed Schools of Hope charter operators to claim space in almost any school as long as there was at least one open seat. 

PREVIOUS: Florida leaders signal possible changes to controversial Schools of Hope law

The proposed changes released by the state's Board of Education appear to address that. The new guidelines would limit the charter schools to public facilities that are less than 75% full or ones that have at least 400 open student stations. 

Late last year, the state passed a law that allows for-profit charter schools classified as Schools of Hope to claim classroom space in under-capacity public schools — for free. This is a process known as "co-locating." 

What they're saying:

The proposed changes would now potentially force the charters to chip in for things like security, utilities and custodial costs. Some critics, though, feel the law still doesn't go far enough. 

RELATED: Schools of Hope: What Gov. DeSantis says about controversial law expanding rights of charter schools

They said it'll still cost districts too much money and take away opportunities from public school students. 

"It's allowing a school to come in and say, 'I may or may not have this number of seats. And I'm going to take it anyway. And I may or may not fill them, but I'm still going to get access to these seats.' And that's a huge problem because what happens if our public stools start to grow? There's no mechanism to get those seats back, which will ultimately cost taxpayers more money," said Damaris Allen, the executive director of Families for Strong Public Schools.

Public school advocates also worry the charters would still not be forced to follow district policies. However, according to the proposed changes, they wouldn't be able to target new schools built within the last four years. 

Dig deeper:

Meanwhile, after the law initially passed last year, a pair of charter operators sent out hundreds of letters of intent to co-locate in districts across the state. Moving forward, Schools of Hope would be limited to five letters in a 12-month period. 

What's next:

The proposed changes are up for a vote at the state Board of Education's meeting next month in Key West.