By Jim Saunders

News Service of Florida

Pointing to similar cases in other parts of Florida, an appeals court Wednesday overturned a decision by the State Board of Education that would have cleared the way for two charter schools in Indian River County.

The ruling by a three-judge panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal was a victory for the Indian River County School Board, which in 2015 denied two charter-school applications filed by Somerset Academy, Inc. Backers of the charter schools took the issue to the State Board of Education, which rejected the decision of the Indian River board and said Somerset Academy should be allowed to move forward with the schools.

Wednesday's ruling by the appeals court said the Indian River board had “clear and convincing evidence” on a series of issues that supported the denial of the proposed charter schools. As an example, the appeals court said the Indian River board showed that the applications failed to meet financial requirements included in state law. (more…)

The Florida Board of Education sided today with three proposed charter schools in Indian River and St. Lucie Counties, overturning attempts by local school boards to stop them from opening.

After the decisions, one board member rebuked the school districts for creating roadblocks to new schools, which would replicate existing high-performing Somerset Academy charter schools.

"I think it is of benefit to our state for us to be as supportive and welcoming as possible to anyone — whether a traditional or charter school — that is doing great things for our students," Rebecca Fishman Lipsey told her fellow board members. Many of the objections to the proposed schools, she said, "seemed a lot like digging to find ways to potentially hold back someone from doing great things for kids."

The school boards in Indian River and St. Lucie Counties last fall rebuffed the charter school network, which is affiliated with the management company Academica.

Citing recent decisions by state appellate courts that blocked proposed replications of high-performing charter schools, the districts argued the proposed schools would not "substantially" replicate existing high-performing charters in Somerset's network.

Attorney Collette Papa said the proposed St. Lucie school and the Broward school it was trying to replicate shared the same "educational program design." The extant and future school would both serve middle-school grades, which wasn't true in the recent court cases.

Suzanne D'Agresta, an attorney for the Indian River school district, said she was concerned the proposed charters in her district would run afoul of a federal desegregation order, and did not offer detailed plans for recruiting black students.
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A network of schools affiliated with one of Florida's largest charter school management companies is set to square off with two Treasure Coast school districts in a series of appeals before the state Board of Education.

The cases, set to be heard during the board's Thursday meeting in Tallahassee, center on an issue that has already landed in two state appellate courts and underscored one of the core tensions between Florida's school boards and its largest charter school networks.

What power do local school boards put the kibosh on high-performing schools that want to expand into new territory?

If charters with good track records and high academic ratings want to "substantially" replicate their operations in other places, Florida law helps clear the path. School districts that reject high-performing charter replications have the burden of proving the charters don't meet requirements in state law.

But what, exactly, it means to "substantially" replicate a high-performing charter school has been the subject of multiple legal battles, and is the crux of three cases involving proposed Somerset Academy charter schools.

The Somerset network is affiliated with the charter school giant Academica. This fall, despite pleas from parents and some high-profile backing, school boards in Indian River and St. Lucie Counties rebuffed its attempts to replicate some of its existing schools. (more…)

There's been a lot of talk recently about the potential impact on school districts' budgets if they are required to share local facilities funding with charter schools. A little-noticed story out of Indian River County might shed some light on the other side of the equation.

The chairman of one of the district's oldest charter schools says he wants to force the district to share local tax collections with his school, according to the Indian River Press-Journal. “We’re tired of being on our hands and knees begging for money,” he tells the paper.

Indian River Charter High School needs building improvements, but declining state funding makes it harder to cover the cost, putting the school in a bind.

Recent elections brought more school choice supporters to the local school board, meaning it's more likely to sympathize with the charter school's plight than some of its counterparts in other districts. According to the paper, board members say they're waiting on the outcome of the upcoming special legislative session on the state budget.

The situation at the 17-year-old charter school is mirrored at others all over the state. More charter schools qualify for state facilities funding each year, but the amount of available money has not kept up. (more…)

Ousters.  Both the president and presdent-elect of the Florida School Boards Association are ousted in elections in which school choice figures prominently. Indian River Press Journal. Central Florida News 13. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Charter schools. A pair of charter school supporters seek Collier school board seats. One prevails. Naples Daily News. A charter school administrator defeats a Walton incumbent. Northwest Florida Daily News.

Incumbents. Sitting school board members have good Election Nights in Alachua County, Tampa Bay and South Florida. Gradebook. Miami Herald. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post. Gainesville Sun. A Broward incumbent overcomes an N-word controversy. Miami Herald.

Runoffs. School board races aren't over in Hillsborough, Marion, Putnam and Manatee Counties. Tampa Bay Times. Ocala Star-Banner. Florida Times-Union. Bradenton Herald.

Gestures. Two Volusia school board candidates pledge to donate their salaries. Orlando Sentinel.

Budgets. School tax referenda pass in Orange and Volusia Counties Orlando Sentinel. WKMG.

Testing. A standardized testing critic wins a school board seat in Lee County. Fort Myers News-Press.

Labor. Meanwhile, Brevard approves a new teacher contract. Florida Today.

Security. The Manatee school board delays a vote on hiring a private security firm. Bradenton Herald.

Adult education. A 79-year-old woman earns a high school diploma. Panama City News Herald.