Charter schools run by the for-profit company Academica want to set up inside dozens of Tampa Bay area public schools, and hundreds statewide, according to a slew of notices sent out the week of Nov. 10.
The notices come under a new Florida statute expanded the scope of a program called "Schools of Hope." Once meant for areas with poor performing schools, it now allows charter companies to request space inside any underenrolled public school.
Some districts see the bids as a way to operate for free in taxpayer-funded school buildings, with most of the charters' expenses paid for by public schools. Two Sarasota County School Board members have described requests as a “hostile takeover” and “grift.”
Charter school advocates dismiss those concerns and say it’s simply a way to expand education choices for children and their families.
“Real estate is hard to find — affordable real estate in the state of Florida, especially for nondistrict schools. We've seen the growth of charters, micro schools, homeschooling, private schools," said Lynn Norman-Teck, executive director of the Florida Charter School Alliance. "I think it's a natural next step for schools to look around and say, 'OK, so what is available?'
“I definitely don't think it's a takeover. I think it's a great opportunity to have a discussion about where public education is today, and how do quality providers meet the needs and demands of today's parent,” she added.
Norman-Teck leads a membership organization which counts Somerset Academy, Mater Academy and BridgePrep Academy among its members. They sent the notices seeking space to establish charters in underenrolled schools.
Only Mater Academy is on the state’s list of approved Schools of Hope charters, however, so the other letters may be considered invalid.
Problems cited by district leaders include how the new law allows just 20 days to respond and how a district’s only recourse is to argue “material impracticability.”
According to Florida Department of Education document, Rule 6A-1.0998271 of the Florida Administrative Code, “the school district must permit a School of Hope to have the practical and effective use of all or part of an educational facility at no cost.”
That includes “without limitation, custodial services, maintenance services, school safety services, food services, nursing services and student transportation,” according to the document.
When asked about the law’s requirement that public schools pay fees for the co-locating charters, Norman-Teck said, “This is all theoretical in Florida, but I know in other states, charter school operators — or a charter school — will pay for maintenance and upkeep of a building.”
She said she believes further guidelines and clarifications will come in the next few months, but added, “I have to be honest, I don't think co-location works very well. I don't think anybody wants to be co-located.”
State Rep. Robin Bartleman, D-Weston, has blasted the Schools of Hope expansion as “a power grab, a real estate grab for charter school companies.”
State Sen. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, has filed a bill to remove language in the law that allows co-location. It was inserted late in the 2025 legislative session.
"It’s an unfunded mandate and a burden on public schools to be required to exist in the same space as charter schools, in a sense paying the cost for the charter school to operate,” Rouson said, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Representatives of the charter companies that sent the notices have not responded to requests for comment.
Many of the letters came from charters that operate under the Florida-based for-profit Academica, which operates tuition-free charters like Somerset and Mater Academy.
Academica is the largest education management organization in the country.
“We have sent hundreds of letters because hundreds of the districts' facilities are underenrolled. Our objective isn't to provide programs in all those facilities — far from it. At most, we will open a handful of schools for the 2027-28 school year,” said a statement posted on Academica’s website.
“We will rescind notices for locations that will not be used once we determine in which schools we will co-locate.”
List of schools
Here are the schools in the Tampa Bay region that were sent notices the week of Nov. 10:
Hillsborough (22):
- Adams Middle
- Broward Elementary
- Burnett Middle
- Chamberlain Senior High
- Cleveland Elementary
- Dowdell Middle
- Dr. Carter G Woodson K-8
- Edison Elementary
- Ferrell Middle Magnet
- Franklin Middle
- Graham Elementary
- James Elementary
- Kenneth E. Adum K-8
- King Senior High
- Lomax Elementary
- Monroe Elementary
- Oak Park Elementary
- Seffner Elementary
- Smith Middle
- Town and Country Elementary
- Washington Elementary
- Young Middle
“It is important to note that, under the current law, no Hillsborough County Public Schools site would be affected until at least the 2027–2028 school year,” district spokeswoman Tanya Arja said.
“Our district will review each letter in accordance with the timeline outlined in the statute. However, we have concerns about the potential impact on our students, staff and communities. The district will respond to these inquiries and will object to any request that is based on incorrect assumptions or presents material impracticability.”
Pasco (6)
- Crews Lake Middle
- Lacoochee Elementary
- Rodney B. Cox Elementary
- Wendell Krinn Technical High
- West Pasco Education Academy
- Mittye P. Locke Achievement Academy
Notices were received from Mater Academy and Somerset Academy. Somerset is not an approved Schools of Hope operator, and its bid to become one was removed from the state Department of Education agenda this past.
Pinellas (37):
- Azalea Elementary
- Bardmoor Elementary
- Bay Point Middle
- Boca Ciega High
- Bear Creek Elementary
- Bayside High
- Blanton Elementary
- Cross Bayou Elementary
- Dunedin Highland Middle
- Gulfport Elementary
- Joseph L Carwise Middle
- Johns Hopkins Middle
- Kings Highway Elementary Magnet
- Lealman Innovation Academy
- Lynch Elementary
- Madeira Beach Fundamental
- Mangrove Bay Middle
- McMullen Booth Elementary
- Meadowlawn Middle
- Morgan Fitzgerald Middle
- Oak Grove Middle
- Osceola Middle
- Palm Harbor Middle
- Pinellas Central Elementary
- Pinellas High Innovation
- Pinellas Park Middle
- Ridgecrest Elementary
- Safety Harbor Middle
- Sandy Lane Elementary
- Seminole Elementary
- Seminole Middle
- Skycrest Elementary
- Tarpon Springs Middle
- Tyrone Middle
- Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle
- Woodlawn Elementary
Pinellas received “building notices.” Three different charters sent them, including Somerset, BridgePrep and Mater Academy.
The county did not provide any comment from district leadership. A series of town hall meetings to gather public input has been scheduled.
- Monday at Largo High School from 5:30 to 7 p.m
- Tuesday, Dec. 2 at Dunedin High School from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 4 at Hollins High School from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
- Tuesday, Dec. 9 at Lakewood High School from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Polk: The Lakeland Ledger reports 27 schools have received notices. WUSF has filed a public records request with the district for details.
Manatee: Sara Scott Harllee Center and Lincoln Middle School received formal notifications from Mater Academy and Somerset Academy.
“It is important to note that these letters are notifications of interest — not confirmation that a School of Hope will open at these sites. The district has not met with representatives from the charter operators, nor are any meetings scheduled at this time,” said a statement from Manatee County schools communications director Jamie Carson.
“The School District of Manatee County is preparing a timely response to these notifications in accordance with Florida statutes,” she added. “The district supports parental choice, and our priority remains providing a productive learning environment and the highest quality education for every student in Manatee County.”
Sarasota: Brookside Middle and Booker Elementary received notices.
But Sarasota County has rolled out a plan to boost enrollment at Brookside by expanding it to a K-8 magnet school while Booker is expected to have a Junior Achievement BizTown element added to its unused buildings.
“These requests are materially impractical now that the Future Focused Strategic Initiative has been fully approved and implementation is underway,” superintendent Terry Connor said.
“This initiative includes specific facility uses, programmatic expansions and capital projects that directly impact the space and operations of both campuses. Under the law, school districts may submit formal objections based on material impracticability, and Sarasota County Schools intends to exercise this right within the required timelines,” he added.
