Bill would let Florida cities sponsor charter schools

Florida cities would be able to sponsor charter schools under a Senate bill filed today.

Right now, school districts have almost exclusive authority to authorize charter schools in the state, though a handful are overseen by state universities.

Cities like Cape Coral, Lake Wales and Pembroke Pines run municipal charter systems, but they need the blessing of local school boards.

SB 808 by Sen. Jeff Brandes would let cities serve as charter school sponsors — meaning they would have the authority to allow schools to open, and to negotiate charter contracts. The bill would also eliminate restrictions on the expansion of academically high-performing charters.

Last week, Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow cities to form their own school districts. If that idea clears the Legislature, it would still need approval from voters statewide. The House sponsor of the proposal cited recent newspaper articles about struggling elementary schools in South St. Petersburg, and said he wants to give municipal officials new ways to turn them around.

Brandes authored the 2013 legislation creating Florida’s course access system. Throughout his legislative career he’s tackled topics like Uber and self-driving cars. In other words, he’s known for outside-the-box ideas that sometimes get serious traction. Stay tuned to see whether this one does.