The Collier County School System is refusing the plea of a charter academy to co-locate within one school but has cracked open the door to another.
During the final day of the last session, the Florida Legislature passed a measure that allows so-called “Schools of Hope” charter academies to occupy space in and use the services of underperforming or underutilized public schools. That has drawn ire from proponents of traditional public schools who believe that the new rule, combined with the private school voucher system in Florida, has all but doomed the state’s public schools.
Mater Academy sent letters to Collier County Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli about its intention to move into Naples Park Elementary School and Everglades City School.
Although Naples Park is an A-rated school, the latest Florida Inventory of School Houses lists its occupancy at just 48 percent.
That doesn’t reflect the spaces used by programs for students with disabilities, for arts or physical education, pre-K or after-school programs, according to Ricciardelli’s response, which refuses the request on grounds of “material impracticability.”
Everglades City School has a 25 percent utilization rate, according to the state inventory. The system’s response about that school asks for more information and a floor plan.
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