State Board of Education approves rule on Charter School Review Commission
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The State Board of Education unanimously approved a rule Wednesday regarding the Charter School Review Commission which will set the process to review charter school applications.
The rule also sets forth the timeline in which the commission must complete its work, incorporates standard forms, and prescribes how the commission will inform the sponsoring district of an application approval and when the district must initiate contract negotiations.
This new rule provides an alternate venue for a prospective charter school operator to seek approval for an application, thereby “expediting a charter school’s ability to operate and provide a high-quality education to students,” according to the presentation.
Additionally, the presentation said the rule reduces workload of school districts and increases high-quality public school options for students.
The 2022 Legislature created the Charter School Review Commission within the Department of Education. The commission will have the same power and duties as other charter school sponsors regarding the review and approval of charter schools.
Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. carried the legislation in the 2022 session in the Florida Senate.
Diaz said there are areas in the state that “do have a need for more choice” and this would “facilitate having that process be easier.”
“I want to be clear, this by no means waters down the quality actually, I think that the goal of this is actually to raise the bar on making sure that charter school applications that are approved are of high quality and meet the bar of our students so that we can get them into those areas,” Diaz said.
Chair Ben Gibson said he thinks it is “groundbreaking.”
“Charter schools are public schools, but when it comes to the school choice model, they are the ones that are out there innovating, and providing really unique opportunities for parents and to have a statewide model to where an operator can go to one place…” Gibson explained.
Gibson said this is a “game changer for the for the state, and it’s very exciting.”
The commission must consist of seven members who have charter school experience, selected by the State Board of Education and subject to confirmation by the Senate.
Each member must be appointed to a four-year term. However, for the purpose of achieving staggered terms, of the initial appointments, three members must be appointed to two-year terms and four members must be appointed to four-year terms. All subsequent appointments must be for four-year terms.
In order to request an application review from the Charter School Review Commission, an applicant must
submit a completed Model Florida Charter School Application to the Institute using a form which may be obtained electronically on the Department’s website.
If the commission approves a charter school application, the district school board of the school district in which the proposed charter school will be located shall be the sponsor of the new charter school.
