The Manatee County school district did the math on a new Florida law that expands Schools of Hope by allowing certain charter school chains to request space in any under-enrolled public school and set up their own school, rent-free.
Already, the Manatee district spends $4,068 per student, according to the analysis seen by WUSF. Any additional students attending a charter with many basic costs covered by the public school would cost the district $2,544 per new student, it said.
That's without counting meal costs, which the district assumed for this analysis would be covered because the U.S. Department of Agriculture funds food for high-need districts.
The analysis includes transportation, safety, operation and maintenance, which would amount to more than half what the district currently spends per student.
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"Among the leadership within our school district, it's really important for us to understand exactly what are the potential costs or allocations that would be involved," said Jamie Carson, director of communications for Manatee schools.
"When you think about what it takes to operate a school, there's more than just facility cost, teacher salaries. You're looking at janitorial services, maintenance services, transportation services," Carson added.
Schools of Hope used to be allowed only in areas with under-performing schools. The law expanded in 2025 to remove those restrictions, and hundreds of "notice of intent" letters sent by charters like Mater Academy blanketed schools across the state.
Governor DeSantis said this month that the program would be "limited" and would not affect schools in affluent areas.
The way the law is written now, a charter school could set up inside any under-enrolled public school and have transportation, meals and utilities covered by the district.
On Monday, the state department of education held a workshop on revising some of the language and rules involved with Schools of Hope.
The draft language is not out yet, but may be released later this week, a DOE spokesman said. Schools of Hope will also be discussed at the state board of education meeting on Feb. 20.
