Florida’s updated Schools of Hope law is prompting new concerns from Miami-Dade County school leaders, as charter schools are now allowed to move into existing public school campuses at no cost — a shift district officials say raises unanswered financial, logistical and safety questions.
The law, which took effect last month, permits charter schools — public schools operated by for-profit companies — to occupy what the state defines as “underutilized” space on public school property. In response, the Miami-Dade County School Board voted Wednesday to formally seek clarification from state officials on how the policy should be implemented.
Board member Joe Geller, who sponsored the agenda item known as H-4, said the legislation leaves too much open to interpretation and could saddle the district with unexpected costs.
“Sometimes, there are unintended consequences,” Geller said.
The measure asks the state to clarify what qualifies as unused space and calls for charter schools to pay rent and cover the cost of services if they co-locate on existing campuses.
“Pay their fair share, there are costs associated; also, the definition of what constitutes unused space is very vague,” Geller said. “If you’ve got a cafeteria and you’ve got a gym, you can’t say, oh, we’re gonna start having classes in here from some other institution, that’s not unused space just because it’s not necessarily fully occupied all day long.”
Not all board members oppose co-location. Roberto Alonso voiced support for partnerships with charter operators, arguing that vacant space should be put to educational use.
“Any space that is empty right now is a space that we should be using for education, so if we can partner with charter school providers to provide a high level of education to our students, I’m all for it,” Alonso said.
Board member Steve Gallon, however, cautioned that free co-location could create significant problems for the district and its communities.
“Colocation with no cost, I think that will be a concern for citizens of Miami-Dade County,” Gallon said, adding that while the district has historically been open to charter schools, shared campuses raise complex challenges.
Public comment during the meeting was overwhelmingly critical of the policy. Several speakers — including teachers’ union employees — argued that the law amounts to an unfunded mandate, weakens school security and overlooks the fact that Miami-Dade already leads the nation in school choice options.
Despite the board’s vote, Alonso dismissed the measure as unnecessary.
“I think today is really just political theatre on having an item that is already actionable,” he said, noting that he has already been meeting with state lawmakers and the education commissioner to address concerns.
Geller and Gallon remain skeptical that logistical issues can be easily resolved, citing potential conflicts over parking, before- and after-school programs, shared facilities such as athletic fields, and student pickup and drop-off times.
With H-4 approved, Miami-Dade County Public Schools will now conduct a fiscal analysis for each charter school that has applied to co-locate on an existing campus — a list that currently includes dozens of applicants.
