Local School District Millage Elections on the Ballot in Ten Florida Counties; Sales Tax Initiatives on the Ballot in Three More Counties

Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools (FCPCS) Notes Funds Levied as a Result of Voter-Approved Referendums are Shared Proportionately with Charter Schools

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., (Oct. 24, 2022) – Voters in ten Florida Counties will decide on school district local millage proposals as part of their General Election ballots on Tuesday, Nov. 8.    The counties are Brevard, Franklin, Lake, Marion, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Palm Beach, Putnam, St. Lucie and Union.

In addition, three Florida school districts are linked to sales tax initiatives on the ballot in their counties.  They are Columbia, Hendry and Osceola.

Funds levied by voter-approved school district millage proposals and sales tax initiatives are shared proportionately with charter schools, based on each charter school’s proportionate share of the district’s total unweighted full-time student enrollment. 

The Florida Legislature passed HB7123 in 2019 to clarify that the term “school operational purposes” includes charter schools sponsored by a school district.  The bill was signed into law by Governor DeSantis.  The FCPCS Advocacy Team played an important rule in passage of the clarifying bill.

Local school district millage proposals were approved by voters in seven Florida counties during the August Florida Primary Election.  The counties are Broward, Duval, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Pasco and Walton.  A school district millage proposal in Hillsborough County failed by a slim margin.

“The Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools applauds leaders of all 21 Florida counties for their efforts to increase education funding in order to improve educational outcomes,” said FCPCS President Robert Haag.

About the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools

The Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools (FCPCS) is the leading charter school membership association in the state, with a membership of nearly 75 percent of all operating charter schools.  Since its inception in 1999, FCPCS has been dedicated to creating a national model of high quality, accredited public charter schools that are student-centered and performance-driven.  FCPCS provides a wide array of technical support, mentoring, training, networking, and purchasing services to its membership, as well as serving as an advocate for all Florida public charter schools.

Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools (FCPCS) Congratulates New Board Chair and New Board Members of the Florida Education Foundation 

Florida Education Commissioner Diaz Recently Appointed New Chair and Board Members of the Foundation 

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., (Oct. 5 , 2022) – The Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools (FCPCS) congratulates the new Chair and Members of the Board of Directors of the Florida Education Foundation.  Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. recently appointed a new Chair of the Foundation and six new Board Members. 

The new Chair is Rebecca Matthews, Vice President of Automated Health Systems of Tallahassee.  She was previously Chief Executive Officer of the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation. 

New Board Members are: 

--Carlos O. Alvarez, Principal at City of Hialeah Educational Academy.  He is also Board Chair and President of Pinecrest Academy, a network of 19 Florida charter schools. 

--Marcus D. Chambers, Superintendent of Okaloosa County Schools and an education industry veteran, with 24 years of service. 

--Steve Crisafulli, President of Crisafulli Consulting and former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. 

--Melissa Ann Matz, selected as the 2023 Florida Department of Education Teacher of the Year and most recently a seventh grade mathematics teacher at Lakeside Junior High School in Clay County. 

--Scott Ross, managing partner for Capital City Consulting in Tallahassee and previously with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. 

--Andrea Tovar, partner and senior consultant of government affairs at Corcoran Partners, Tallahassee.  

Headquartered in Tallahassee, the Florida Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  It was established by the Florida Legislature in 1984 as a direct support organization to the Florida Department of Education. 

“The Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools looks forward to working with all of the officers and members of the Board of Directors of the Florida Education Foundation,” said Robert Haag, President of FCPCS.  “Our mutual goal is to continue to improve educational outcomes in Florida.” 

About the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools

The Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools (FCPCS) is the leading charter school membership association in the state, with a membership of nearly 75 percent of all operating charter schools.  Since its inception in 1999, FCPCS has been dedicated to creating a national model of high quality, accredited public charter schools that are student-centered and performance-driven.  FCPCS provides a wide array of technical support, mentoring, training, networking, and purchasing services to its membership, as well as serving as an advocate for all Florida public charter schools.

PASCO’S ACADEMY AT THE FARM WINS $13.5M IN SUPPORT GRANTS

From Florida Politics

By Renzo Downey - September 11, 2022

The funding was the second-largest grant lawmakers provided through the new local support program.

State lawmakers have awarded $13.5 million in federal funding for a Pasco County agriculture charter school to expand its program after Gov. Ron DeSantis initially vetoed $11.9 million for a new high school.  READ MORE

WALTER MYERS OPINION: TACKLING MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS

From Florida Daily
(By Walter Myers III - Republished from RealClear Wire)

September 12, 2022

Since their humble beginnings in 1992, with City Academy in St. Paul, Minnesota, charter schools have expanded to forty-four other states as well as the District of Columbia, and they now enroll well over 3.4 million students – roughly eight percent of all students nationwide. But while charter schools have been around for thirty years, many Americans remain unfamiliar with or confused about the basic concept. READ MORE