Charter School Scrutiny Bill Passes First Senate Panel

by Michael Peltier
The News Service of Florida

A measure to require greater accountability from charter schools began its legislative journey on Wednesday with the bill’s sponsor hoping he can finally convince colleagues in the House to go along.

{sidebar id=1}By unanimous vote, the Senate PreK-12 Committee, approved the proposal (SB 278), which passed the Senate last year but has yet to win approval in the House.

Among its provisions are measures to more quickly identify charter schools in fiscal distress, prohibit nepotism and require charter schools to comply with the same class size restrictions imposed on traditional public schools.

The measure, sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, has had tough sledding over the past few sessions as similar versions have stalled in the House.

“We’re going to give our House colleagues one more chance to do the right thing,” Gaetz told committee members who later approved the measure unanimously and sent it on to the Education Appropriations Committee.

The bill makes a number of changes to current law. Among them, it:

Establishes criteria for determining when a charter school is in financial difficulties and proscribes responses to such information.
Allows school districts to terminate charters if charter schools are in dire financial straits.
Requires charter schools to comply with constitutional class size reductions that are required at traditional public schools and limits or eliminates funding for additional students when caps are exceeded.
Prohibits nepotism in the areas of hiring and promotion.
Requires charter schools to report student progress to parents in relation to other charter schools or traditional public schools in the area.
Gives the Florida Education Commissioner more authority to institute financial checks.

Charter school critics have said that lax oversight has allowed some school operators to profit at the expense of their students. Last month, the Vero Beach Press Journal reported that Imagine Schools, which operates schools in Indian River and Brevard Counties, may owe contractors more than $1.2 million.

{sidebar id=1}Legislation last year languished in the House. Critics said that measure was not specific enough on when a charter school would be deemed to be experiencing financial difficulties.

After consultations with the Florida’s auditor general’s office, Gaetz said criteria were included spelling out what types of infractions would warrant further review. Charter school advocates said Wednesday they supported the bill but have some suggestions.

“We do have some minor concerns with the bill but look forward to working with Sen. Gaetz before the bill’s next stop, ” said Andreina Figueroa, a lobbyist representing the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools.

The bill now travels to the Senate Education Appropriations Committee.

This article originally published on February 4, 2009.

Click here to discuss this topic in our Online Discussion Forums.

Per Wakulla.com policy, all reader comments (submitted below) must include a valid first and last name.