H 1393

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    HB 1393  2026
1A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to charter schools; amending s.
31002.33, F.S.; authorizing state universities and
4Florida College System institutions to sponsor job
5engine charter schools; requiring specified tax funds
6be provided to the sponsor of a job engine charter
7school annually; defining the term "attendance zone";
8providing an effective date.
9
10Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12Section 1.       Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) and paragraph
13(a) of subsection (5) of section 1002.33, Florida Statutes, are
14amended, and paragraph (e) is added to subsection (15) of that
15section, to read:
161002.33     Charter schools.—
17(3)     APPLICATION FOR CHARTER STATUS.—
18(b)     An application for a conversion charter school must be
19made by the district school board, the principal, teachers,
20parents whose children are enrolled at the school, or the school
21advisory council at an existing public school that has been in
22operation for at least 2 years before the application to
23convert. A public school-within-a-school designated as a school
24by the district school board may also apply to convert to
25charter status. A municipality seeking to attract job-producing
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26    entities by establishing a job engine charter school pursuant to
27    paragraph (15)(c) may apply to a the district school board,
28    Florida College System institution, or state university to
29    convert an existing public school to a charter school. An
30    application submitted proposing to convert an existing public
31    school to a charter school must demonstrate the support of at
32    least 50 percent of the parents voting whose children are
33    enrolled at the school, provided that a majority of the parents
34    eligible to vote participate in the ballot process, according to
35    rules adopted by the State Board of Education. A district school
36    board, Florida College System institution, or state university
37    that denies an application for a conversion charter school shall
38    provide notice of denial to the applicants in writing within 10
39    days after the meeting at which the district school board denied
40    the application. The notice must articulate in writing the
41    specific reasons for denial and must provide documentation
42    supporting those reasons. A private school, parochial school, or
43    home education program is not eligible for charter school
44    status.
45(5)      SPONSOR; DUTIES.—
46(a)      Sponsoring entities.—
471.      A district school board may sponsor a charter school in
48    the county over which the district school board has
49    jurisdiction.
502.a.        A state university may grant a charter to a lab
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51    school created under s. 1002.32 and shall be considered to be
52    the school's sponsor. Such school shall be considered a charter
53    lab school.
54b.      A state university may grant a charter to a
55    municipality establishing a job engine charter school.
563.      Because needs relating to educational capacity,
57    workforce qualifications, and career education opportunities are
58    constantly changing and extend beyond school district
59    boundaries:
60a.      A state university may, upon approval by the Department
61    of Education, solicit applications and sponsor a charter school
62    to meet regional education or workforce demands by serving
63    students from multiple school districts.
64b.      A Florida College System institution may, upon approval
65    by the Department of Education, solicit applications and sponsor
66    a charter school or a job engine charter school in any county
67    within its service area to meet workforce demands and may offer
68    postsecondary programs leading to industry certifications to
69    eligible charter school students. A charter school established
70    under subparagraph (b)4. may not be sponsored by a Florida
71    College System institution until its existing charter with the
72    school district expires as provided under subsection (7).
73c.      Notwithstanding paragraph (6)(b), a state university or
74    Florida College System institution may, at its discretion, deny
75    an application for a charter school.
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76d.      The Charter School Review Commission, as authorized
77    under s. 1002.3301, may solicit and review applications for
78    charter schools overseen by district school boards and, upon the
79    commission approving an application, the district school board
80    that oversees the school district in which the charter school
81    will be located shall serve as sponsor.
82(15)        CHARTER SCHOOLS-IN-THE-WORKPLACE; CHARTER SCHOOLS-IN-
83    A-MUNICIPALITY.—
84(e)      All taxes levied by the school district within the
85    attendance zone of a conversion job engine charter school
86    sponsored by a Florida College System institution or state
87    university shall be provided to the sponsor annually, beginning
88    with the next fiscal year after such school is established. For
89    purposes of this paragraph, the term "attendance zone" means the
90    attendance zone of the public school at the time of the school's
91    conversion to a job engine charter school.
92Section 2.        This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
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