Charter schools for FL military bases may get expedited applications

Spurred by conflict over a proposed charter school at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida lawmakers will consider creating an expedited application process for on-base charter schools serving military families, an influential state senator said Monday.

“That’s a hard pill to swallow when a base commander is saying we want options and the local government, for whatever reason, has not allowed them to go down that path,” Sen. John Legg, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, told redefinED. “So as a result, we’re going to be looking at options to offer more choices to our veterans.”

Legg’s comments come in the wake of last month’s decision by the Hillsborough County School District, the eighth-largest in the nation, to deny a charter school sought by MacDill, home to U.S. Central Command. The base commander and other supporters said a charter school could better serve the needs of military children, but district officials said they were concerned about the proposed school’s governing structure. The decision is being appealed.

Legg, R-Lutz, said he doesn’t have the details on any proposed legislation yet, and is unsure when it may be filed. He said it’s likely the bill will encompass a variety of proposals to benefit military families, and not be limited to education. He also said such a bill is a priority for Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, whose district is near Eglin Air Force Base in the Panhandle and home to a high number of military retirees.

The bill is likely to include a measure to create a separate application process for charter schools that are sought by military bases on the grounds of military bases, Legg said. It’s also likely to include language that would give military families priority with the enrollment process for such schools, as well as similar, military-themed schools off base. “Rational minds I think would agree that military family needs are different than other family needs,” said Legg, who works as a charter school administrator.

Legg said he didn’t want to “cast aspersions” on the charter school denial in Hillsborough, and he praised Hillsborough Superintendent MaryEllen Elia, who led the charge against the application. But he said the decision did prompt he and other lawmakers to “examine this process.”

Legg also said other lawmakers who represent districts near military bases have heard similar concerns about tensions between base and school district leaders over the education of military children. “This issue is not an anomaly,” Legg said. “This has been an ongoing discussion recently and the overarching consensus is we need to find more options for our military service students.”