Policy 2.56

Number of Charter Schools

1. Exemption.-- Pursuant to Fla. Stat. § 1003.62(2), this Policy implements Waiver # 1 under charter district status, approved by the State Board of Education ("SBE") on January 21, 2003, exempting the School Board from the statutory cap on the number of charter schools in the District as set forth in Fla. Stat. § 1002.33(13)(a), which would otherwise limit the number of charter schools in the District to 28. The scope of the exemption and the practices authorized to replace the waived statutory limitations are set forth below, substantially as presented to the SBE. This Policy should be revised as necessary to maintain consistency with the Charter School District Contract with the SBE and should be repealed if charter district status is not renewed, provided that such repeal should not affect charter schools already in existence under this Policy at the time of repeal.

2. Approved Alternative Practice.-- The District School Board will determine the additional number of charter schools above 28. The Board has the authority to determine if a charter school application meets the requirements of law to become a charter school and to determine, on a case-by-case basis, if the addition of the charter school serves the needs of the student population in the District.

3. Criteria.-- The criteria used to determine the number of charter schools will be acceptable applications approved by the District School Board upon its determination, on a case-by-case basis, that the addition of the charter school serves the needs of the student population of the District.

1. Pursuant to Fla. Stat. § 1002.33(1)(a), the applicant must demonstrate that the charter school would:

1. improve student learning and academic achievement;

2. increase learning opportunities for all students, with special emphasis on low-performing students;

3. create new professional opportunities for teachers, including ownership of the learning program at the school site;

4. encourage the use of innovative learning methods; and

5. require the measurement of learning outcomes.

2. Consistent with Fla. Stat. § 1002.33(1)(b), the applicant should demonstrate that the charter school would:

1. create innovative measurement tools;

2. provide rigorous competition within the public school district to stimulate continual improvement in all public schools; and

3. expand the capacity of the public school system.

3. Additionally, to demonstrate that the addition of the charter school would serve the needs of the student population of the District, the applicant should show that the proposed charter school would:

1. provide relief to overcrowding of one or more existing regular public schools in the District; and/or

2. provide unique programs to meet the needs of an identified student population in the District.

4. As further evidence that the addition of the charter school would serve the needs of the student population of the District, an applicant person/organization which already has a charter from the Board would need to demonstrate that such person/organization has a track record of success in operating an exemplary charter school for the past two (2) fiscal years. An exemplary charter school would be characterized by:

1. remaining in full compliance with its charter;

2. demonstrating fulfillment of the statutory purposes of charter schools, as quoted in subsections (3)(a), (b) above; and,

3. for schools subject to state performance grades, maintaining a performance grade of at least B or demonstrating significant annual learning gains.

4. Impact on Students.-- It is anticipated that implementation of this Policy will create more opportunities for parent and student school choice.

5. Monitoring and Reporting.-- The School Board will receive semi-annual progress reports of all existing charter schools, to include any areas of deficiency.