JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Duval County School Board is meeting tonight to discuss potential changes to Florida’s controversial Schools of Hope law.
The statute allows charter schools to move into vacant, underutilized, or underperforming public school buildings at no cost to the charter operator.
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Action News Jax has been tracking opposition to the policy for months, as education leaders and parents across the state have raised concerns about local control, accountability, and the long-term impact on public schools.
The discussion comes after Duval County Public Schools confirmed that charter operator Mater Academy has rescinded plans to move into 23 of the 25 district schools it initially targeted. The district received those letters back in October, prompting widespread concern and public backlash.
Despite that reversal, the state statute still leaves school boards with little room to push back, and that’s why board members are now considering formal action to seek reform.
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Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, criticized the law and the role of for-profit charter operators.
“Public schools are your schools, they’re my schools,” Spar said. “They’re your schools if you’re a parent, an aunt or uncle, a grandparent, a taxpayer, or a small business owner. And the fact that public schools are your schools means you control them.”
Spar argues the Schools of Hope policy strips that control away.
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“These are corporate interests who are looking to make billions of dollars off the backs of kids,” he said. “They’re trying to take over your schools, and we shouldn’t allow that.”
School board members are expected to discuss several proposed changes, including refining how underperforming schools are identified, updating how school space is measured, and preserving the authority of locally elected school boards.
Another proposal would seek to remove what the board describes as potential “unfunded operational or administrative burdens” placed on school districts.
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While Spar said he appreciates the board’s effort to add guardrails, he believes the law itself is fundamentally flawed and should be repealed altogether.
“The reality of it is the concept is ultimately flawed, and I think we should be calling on lawmakers to repeal it,” Spar said. “If that’s not successful, then protecting students in our schools and protecting public taxpayer money is vitally important.”
District officials say the board can vote to approve the proposed language, modify it, or determine that additional review is needed.
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