In a landmark decision, the Miami-Dade School Board voted to become the first district in Florida to allow a charter school network to operate directly inside traditional public school buildings. The district spent six months negotiating behind closed doors before presenting the final deal to the board.
“We’re required to make a vote with a gun to our head,” said board member Danny Espino to WLRN. “I don’t think that it’s lost on us that we are negotiating from a weakened position.”
The expansion is fueled by the state’s Schools of Hope program. While a 2023 law gave charter networks more leeway to set up shop in underutilized public spaces, the financial burden of this partnership falls largely on the district.
The five schools slated to house the charter network starting in August 2027 are:
- Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High
- Homestead Senior High
- Miami Jackson Senior High
- North Miami Senior High
- Westland Hialeah Senior High
Some schools have detested the idea of a co-location. Miami Jackson Senior High has circulated a petition to stop the movement. A Westland Hialeah Senior High School petition has gained support online.
Success Academy, backed by a $50 million gift from billionaire Ken Griffin, will pay the district an annual fee of $700 per student. However, the district’s own agenda item admitted this fee is insufficient to cover the actual costs of maintenance, utilities, custodial services, and security—all of which the district must continue to fund with taxpayer dollars.
The fiscal math has residents questioning how their tax dollars are being prioritized. While the district loses state funding for every student who leaves a traditional school for the charter, it must still foot the bill for the very roof over that charter school’s head.
Public sentiment on social media reflects a growing anger over the use of public funds.
“Real bad idea. Charter schools should not receive any public funding,” said an Instagram commenter. “They want to operate by their own rules, then they should function with their own money and their own infrastructure.”
“Parents: I need y’all to understand that Charter school teachers are not required to have a teaching license from the Florida Department of Education,” said another commenter.
Board member Luisa Santos warned that the plan to increase capacity for high-need students to make room for the charter could create poor learning environments for students with disabilities.
With a one-year renewable contract in place, board members are looking toward 2027 as a trial by fire for a model that many fear marks the beginning of a “parallel system” that weakens public education from the inside out.
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