After years of wrangling with charter school operators over questionable fees, one of Florida’s biggest school districts recently developed new contracts that spell out what is - and isn’t - allowed. But now that a new state law requires uniform contracts across the state, can the district enforce those rules in future contracts?

That’s one of many questions facing the Florida Department of Education as it works with school boards and charter operators to develop a model charter school contract for 2014.

The idea is to level the playing field for smaller charter school operators trying to negotiate with the districts, said state Rep. George Moraitis, R-Fort Lauderdale, who sponsored legislation last session calling for the contracts.

Rep. George Moraitis

“We’re just trying to make it easier for those who don’t have the resources to hire lawyers or don’t understand their rights,’’ he said. “And, hopefully, make [the process] more efficient for everyone.’’

The goal isn’t to limit district authority, Moraitis said. In Florida, local school boards serve as charter school authorizers, approving applications and contracts, and overseeing operations. And Moraitis believes it should stay that way.

“We want the school board to be responsible for charters,’’ he said. “But we don’t want them to be unnecessarily regulating them.’’

Critics, though, suggest unnecessary regulation can be in the eye of the beholder.

“We’re not in support of having a standard contract because it’s going to be so generic,’’ said Jenna Hodgens, president of the Florida Association of Charter School Authorizers. “You know how different school districts are. We want to be positive and we understand [the charters’] side, but this really takes negotiation out of the process.’’ (more…)