Under the pressure of an imminent deadline from Florida’s newly expanded “Schools of Hope” law, the Sarasota County School Board voted unanimously 5-0 on Friday to approve a sweeping, high-stakes plan to eliminate underutilized classroom space and prevent state-designated charter operators from claiming public facilities.
The district’s rapid, aggressive strategy, led by Superintendent Terry Connor, is designed to maximize utilization across its campuses—a move officials believe is the only viable defense against a law that allows charter groups to occupy any school with “underused” space, regardless of its academic performance.
Looming Threat and an Urgency to Act
The catalyst for the vote is a new provision that allows certain charter organizations to request co-location in any public school with empty seats. Notices of intent from six state-designated “hope operators” are expected to begin arriving as early as November 11th, triggering a short window for the district to object. Premature notices have already been received from Miami-based Mater Academy, targeting schools like Emma E. Booker Elementary, Brookside Middle, and Oak Park.Board member Tom Edwards made it clear that the vote was a reluctant necessity imposed by the state legislature.
“It is because of Schools for Hope, and it is because of this express timeline,” Edwards stated. “And I’ll point out to you that I would never approve this kind of conversation without a substantially more robust budget.”
A Multibillion-Dollar Overhaul: Cost Questions Persist
Superintendent Connor has staked the plan’s financial justification on its ability to recapture student enrollment—and the associated state funding—that is currently leaking to charter schools.
“If we were to recapture, let’s say, 90 to 100% of those that typically would have left fifth grade to go to a 6th grade charter, they stay with us; that would actually equate to more revenue than the planned expense on these instructional units,” Connor asserted.
The defensive measures include:
• Expanding four elementary schools (Alta Vista, Brentwood, Gulf Gate, and Wilkinson) into K-8 campuses. The K-8 model is intended to retain students through middle school.
• Re-imagining Brookside Middle as the Gulf Coast Academy of Innovation & Technology.
• Demolishing two aging buildings at Alta Vista Elementary and Fruitville Elementary.
Connor defended the demolitions, citing state requirements and fiscal prudence. Speaking of the Alta Vista building, he noted: “It’s very, very old. It has outlived its usefulness, and it makes more sense for us to actually demo that building than it does to invest money into repairing and renovating that building. The same goes for there is a building five at Fruitville.”
However, Edwards raised multiple warnings about the lack of a detailed financial blueprint.
Neighborhoods and Community Impact
The plan, which aims to reduce the district’s 5,600 “under-utilized seats” by over 3,000, was broadly supported by community members who criticized the charter law as a “hostile takeover.”
However, resident Elizabeth Hall raised pointed concerns about the effect of the K-8 expansion on local communities.
With the unanimous vote, Sarasota County is now on a fast track to fundamentally alter its educational footprint, hoping to prevent a financial drain under a law that requires districts to provide maintenance, utilities, and even food service to co-located charter schools at no cost to the operator.
