Superintendent Michael Burke said the district is concerned about new state rules that allow Schools of Hope (state‑supported charter operators) to co‑locate on district campuses and that the changes could produce operational and financial strain.

"What eventually was passed ... is that Schools of Hope can come in and co locate into our schools at virtually no cost," Burke said, describing the district obligation to serve, feed, transport and clean facilities used by a co‑located charter. He listed practical logistics that present challenges, including bell schedules, shared use of cafeterias and physical‑education facilities, transport routing for countywide choice programs, and the administrative effort to manage two school populations on a single campus.

Burke noted that the statutory criteria for identifying persistent low‑performing schools changed and that some schools that are not D or F could nevertheless fall into the category for colocation. He said the state’s rulemaking process for implementing the law takes effect Nov. 11 and that districts will have limited time to respond to formal letters requesting colocation; he also said Mater Academy/Academica had sent letters to other districts and that Palm Beach County had not yet received such a letter.

District officials asked the delegation to consider legislation or budget language to allow districts to recover reasonable costs for services provided to co‑located charters or to otherwise enable negotiation of terms that protect district students and programs.

Board members and legislators discussed logistics and legal arguments districts could cite to object case‑by‑case to colocation in the rulemaking process. The district said it will monitor rulemaking and prepare case files where necessary.