Charter school operator seeks to co-locate on 27 Broward school campuses rent free
South Florida Sun Sentinel | By Scott Travis |
Critics call move a rent-free ‘land grab’ by charter school companies
A Miami-based charter school operator has made a formal request to co-locate rent-free on the campuses of 27 Broward schools, initiating what one state legislator described as a “land grab” that could hurt public schools.
Roberto C. Blanch, president of Miami-based Mater Academy, sent 27 letters to Superintendent Howard Hepburn on Wednesday informing him that the charter school provider wants to open charters known as “Schools of Hope” on various campuses starting in August 2027.
Broward isn’t the only district that received letters. Sarasota and Hillsborough counties, as well as several others, have received similar requests by Mater, according to State Rep. Robin Bartleman, D-Weston, who fought against the state law.
“This is a power grab, a real estate grab for charter school companies, and now this one company has submitted applications across the states,” Bartleman told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Thursday. “You’re going to be able to co-locate your business with no expenses, and it’s the children who are in the traditional public schools that are going to be impacted because they are going to be paying for it.”
Schools of Hope is a program created in 2017 to encourage charter schools to operate near low-performing district-run schools. Mater operates three such Schools of Hope in Miami-Dade County.
But this year, the program was dramatically expanded to allow approved Schools of Hope providers to operate rent-free on the same campuses as district schools. The law even allows charter schools to open on the campuses of certain high-performing schools that are near one designated by the state as “persistently low-performing” based on several years of poor student achievement.
Bartleman said this expansion wasn’t even initially heard by the Florida Senate, but got added to the budget and approved “in the dead of night” on the last day of the Legislative session.
Broward only has six schools designated as “persistently low performing,” far fewer than the number of Schools of Hope that Mater is seeking to operate. And only two — Walker Elementary in Fort Lauderdale and Tedder Elementary in Pompano Beach — are on Mater’s list. The other four such schools are Robert C. Markham Elementary in Pompano Beach, Royal Palm Elementary in Lauderhill, Charles Drew Elementary in Pompano Beach and Lloyd Estates Elementary in Oakland Park. Lloyd Estates is near James Rickards Middle School, which is going through an $82 million replacement due to a 2021 roof collapse.
Blach’s letter to the Broward superintendent said that any district objection “must be based on material impracticability and made within the statutory timeline after receipt of this Notice. The district may propose an alternate underused/vacant/surplus facility; however, acceptance remains at the operator’s discretion. Absent a timely objection, our selection becomes final and we will promptly execute the required Shared Facility Plan and Mutual Management Plan.”
Some of the schools he listed are neither low-performing nor low-enrolled. These include the district’s three A-rated technical colleges, Atlantic in Pompano Beach, McFatter in Davie and Sheridan in Hollywood. Broward officials say these programs have a waiting list, so the district is looking to expand to more locations.
Broward isn’t the only district that received letters. Sarasota, Hillsborough and several other counties have received similar requests by Mater, according to Bartleman.
She said that in the past, if a charter school wanted to locate on a traditional school campus, the district could charge $600 per student for expenses. The new law only allows districts to collect some capital dollars that charter schools might receive from the state. “And that’s not enough,” Bartleman said.
John Sullivan, who serves as chief of staff and communications for Broward schools, told School Board members in an email Wednesday afternoon that Mater is citing a Florida Board of Education rule that is still being developed and has not yet been adopted.
“However, we should anticipate receiving similar letters from Schools of Hope operators once the rule becomes effective,” Sullivan wrote.
Blanch could not be immediately reached on Thursday, despite attempts by phone and email.
Wednesday’s letter came a day after the Broward School Board agreed to close at least six schools and close off educational spaces in many others that will remain open. Board members say they plan to find other uses for these sites, such as office space for its employees or leased space for cities and community organizations. Several board members have said they are reluctant to give up space to charter schools, which could siphon off students and resources from district-run schools.
Gov. Ron DeSantis touted the Schools of Hope program in a Sept. 25 news conference, where he announced plans for a major expansion into Miami of the New York-based Success Academy Charter Schools.
“I think Miami’s just the beginning,” DeSantis said at the news conference.
Here are the schools that Mater Academy has proposed sharing space with in Broward:
— Atlantic Technical High School, Pompano Beach
— Bright Horizons Center, Pompano Beach
— Broward Estates Elementary, Lauderhill (now a pre-K)
— Charles Drew Resource Center, Pompano Beach
— Coral Springs Elementary
— Fairway Elementary, Miramar
— Hollywood Central Elementary
— James Rickards Middle, Oakland Park
— Mary M Bethune Elementary, Hollywood
— McFatter Technical College & High School, Davie
— McNicol Middle, Hollywood
— Miramar Elementary
— North Side Elementary, Fort Lauderdale
— Palm Cove Elementary, Pembroke Pines
— Panther Run Elementary, Pembroke Pines
— Parkway Middle, Lauderhill
— Pines Middle, Pembroke Pines (now a 6-12)
— Sheridan Technical High School, Hollywood
— Silver Lakes Elementary, Miramar
— Silver Shores Elementary, Miramar
— Tamarac Elementary
— Tedder Elementary, Pompano Beach
— The Quest Center, Hollywood
— Thurgood Marshall Elementary, Fort Lauderdale
— Walker Elementary, Fort Lauderdale
— Whiddon-Rogers Education Center, Fort Lauderdale
— Wingate Oaks Center, Lauderhill
