Alachua County School Board approves Newberry charter contract while appeal proceeds

The Alachua County School Board voted unanimously June 9 to approve the state-standard charter contract for Newberry Charter School, a five-year term set to run from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, while the district continues an active appeal before the Charter School Appeal Commission.

The vote matters because district attorneys and staff said state law imposes statutory timelines for negotiating and approving conversion-charter contracts and that the state could impose a contract on the district if the board declined to negotiate. "The charter would have recourse to go to the state," attorney William Delaney said, adding the state could impose a contract if timelines are missed.

Board members spent most of their discussion on enrollment, start date, transportation and finance. Attorney Spilius said the contract uses the state standard template and that the stated term is a standard initial five-year term. Superintendent Patton and…