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Board committee urges tweaks to 'Schools of Hope' law, flags cost‑sharing and age‑appropriateness concerns
Summary
Committee members asked state lawmakers to fix unintended consequences in the Schools of Hope colocation law, urging a cost‑sharing requirement and clearer definitions of underused space and age‑appropriate co‑location.
Board members urged legislators to fix perceived oversights in the recent Schools of Hope law, telling staff and state contacts that the district needs clearer rules on cost sharing, definitions of ‘‘underused’’ facilities, and safeguards for age‑appropriateness within co‑located campuses.
Board member Geller (S17) introduced an item asking the School Board to press the legislature for ‘‘glitch'' corrections to the statute. He told colleagues that local officials should ask that schools of hope not be able to rely on district subsidies for operational or capital costs and that the districts legislative program include a requirement that those schools contribute facility use fees and reimbursements.
‘‘If we're to have schools of hope take advantage of this colocation concept … these institutions should at least carry their own weight,’’ Geller said, urging the board to seek cost‑sharing language. He also highlighted parents' concerns about age‑appropriateness when a private program serving older students may be proposed for an elementary campus.
Several board members and staff reviewed the district's chronology of prior legislative engagement and said much of the groundwork already appears in the adopted 2026 state and federal legislative platform. Members recommended friendly amendments that would (a) emphasize cost sharing and reimbursement for services, (b) refine the definition of ‘‘underused’’ space, and (c) allow the district to consider co‑location appropriateness factors such as teacher housing and other uses in district planning.
Doctor Gallon (S15) and others asked that the committee also request a fiscal‑impact analysis before the board adopts a final stance, while other members sought language that would preserve parents' choice for some K–12 models already operating effectively. Committee members accepted multiple friendly amendments and transmitted the item favorably with co‑sponsors; staff said the board's legislative team will pursue the proposed clarifications with the legislature.
What happens next: staff will work the amended language into the board's legislative messaging and share final recommended language with Tallahassee contacts; the committee asked for a fiscal impact analysis to support state advocacy.
