The Florida Senate will hear Senate Bill 892 TOMORROW (February 23) at 3:00 p.m. ET with a final vote likely the next day (February 24).

If passed, SB 892 will make it easier for new charter schools to escape the two year waiting period for capital outlay funds (tax dollars). More than $1 billion in government grants have been lost on charter schools that never opened, or opened and then closed in Florida.

As of 2019, 409 charter schools closed in Florida. Currently there aren’t adequate safeguards to insure the sales surtax and property tax money funding charter school buildings will stay within the public school system if the charter school closes.

The Florida League has long supported increased oversite of the development and implementation of charter school contracts. This bill decreases oversite. At a minimum, our state should be making sure the charter school will be successful before giving them capital outlay funds.