1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to support Senate Bill 424, introduced by State Senator Darryl Rouson, which would repeal the September 2025 changes to Florida's Schools of Hope program. I also request that you hold town hall meetings to engage directly with constituents on this critical education issue. In September 2025, the State Board of Education passed Florida Administrative Code R. 6A-1.0998271, fundamentally transforming the Schools of Hope program from its original 2017 purpose under Florida Statute §1002.333. The new rule allows charter schools to claim space in any school building with empty seats, not just near failing schools as originally intended. The definition of "empty seats" remains unclear, creating uncertainty for districts trying to plan facilities use. Most concerning is the cost-sharing arrangement. School districts must now provide charter schools with free buildings plus free maintenance, food service, and transportation, with almost no ability to refuse these requests. This vague and insubstantial cost-sharing framework transfers taxpayer resources to private charter operators without adequate accountability. Many of these charters hire for-profit companies like Academica, which operates Mater Academy and was investigated by the U.S. Department of Education for conflicts of interest and using public money for private business deals. The program's track record does not justify this expansion. Florida has spent over $300 million on Schools of Hope over eight years with disappointing results. In 2024, eight of the approximately dozen Schools of Hope received C or D grades, performing no better than the regular public schools they were meant to replace. As of November 15, 2025, charter schools have sent hundreds of notices to school districts requesting to move into public school buildings. This issue affects every district in Florida and deserves robust public debate, not changes hidden in a last-day budget bill. I ask you to support SB 424 to repeal these harmful changes and to hold town hall meetings where constituents can discuss education policy directly with their elected representatives. Voters elected school board members to run local schools, and we deserve transparency and local control over our taxpayer-funded school buildings.