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

2. Florida Statutes F.S.1002.33 Charter schools
F.S High-performing charter schools
F.S High-performing charter school systems
F.S Determination of deteriorating financial conditions and financial emergencies

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. How many charter schools are there?
Total Schools
Total Students
Charter Schools
Charter Students
State of Florida
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
Manatee 61
48,000 17
6,600
* Data taken from DOE and district websites

8. 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

9. Charter Relationships in Hillsborough County
Charter School Leaders-FL
Hillsborough County Public Schools
CHILDREN

10. Questions???