Hillsborough County Charter Schools Jenna Hodgens General Director

Hillsborough County Charter Schools Jenna Hodgens General Director, Charter Schools Presented to Hillsborough MPO August 24, 2016

Florida Statutes • F. S. 1002. 33 Charter schools • F. S. 1002. 331 High-performing charter schools • F. S. 1002. 332 High-performing charter school systems • F. S. 1002. 345 Determination of deteriorating financial conditions and financial emergencies

What is a charter school? • Charter schools are independent public schools operated by a non -profit organization. They hire their own teachers, design their own academic program, and control their own finances. They have their own board of directors that make decisions for the school. • All charter schools must provide a curriculum that meets the Florida Standards. • Charter schools must hire certified teachers. • In Florida, charter schools are accountable to the school district in which they reside for student academic performance and fiscal management, but they are not managed by the district.

How is a charter school created? • through an application process to the district in which the applicant wants to open • must be submitted by a non-profit corporation • may use the services of a management company to help through application process as well as implementation of school

How are Charter Schools Evaluated? • • • Once the school is approved, a contract is executed with the school district. The contract specifies the terms of the agreement and the areas that will be evaluated. Finances, student achievement, governance, staffing, management, and many other areas form the basis of charter school evaluations. Contract terms vary from 1 year to 15 years, with most being 5 years. During contract renewal, a thorough evaluation of the school is conducted and reported to the district School Board with a recommendation for renewal or non-renewal.

Who can attend a charter school? • Charter schools must have open enrollment because they are public schools. • They may have a targeted population but it must be written in their application. • Each charter school has their own enrollment process that is approved through their board.

How many charter schools are there? Total Schools Total Students Charter Schools 4, 258 2, 632, 000 648 269, 000 Hillsborough 263 208, 000 41 18, 000 Pinellas 154 104, 000 20 5, 700 Pasco 101 72, 000 9 3, 700 61 48, 000 17 6, 600 State of Florida Manatee * Data taken from DOE and district websites Charter Students

Hillsborough County Public Schools. Charter Enrollment • forty-one charter schools operating • serving 18, 000 students at-risk, traditional, and special education • eleven schools delayed opening from 2016 to 2017 • currently evaluating six new applications 20000 Charter Enrollment Growth 18000 16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 09 -10 10 -11 11 -12 12 -13 13 -14 14 -15 15 -16 16 -17

Charter Relationships in Hillsborough County Charter School Leaders-FL C H I L D R E N Hillsborough County Public Schools

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