JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Months after saying it was planning to open charters inside 25 existing Duval County public schools under the “Schools of Hope” law, Miami-based Mater Academy withdrew 23 of those letters of intent this month, according to a report from our news partner, Jacksonville Today.
Only Merrill Road Elementary and Fort Caroline School of the Arts remain “under active review” as potential locations for the charter school operator, Jax Today learned.
Katie Hathaway is a Duval County parent and public school advocate. She says the development may be exciting, but there is still work to do.
“There are other charter operators, Schools of Hope operators, who could easily send a letter of intent to co-locate in our school,” Hathaway warned. “So the fight is not over until the state repeals this law.”
Mater’s move to share space in those schools takes advantage of recent expansions to Florida’s Schools of Hope program, which allows a handful of charter operators to move into neighborhoods served by struggling traditional public schools.
New rules compel districts to allow “Schools of Hope” to use district buildings rent-free, and to allow existing schools to share common areas and resources with the private operators.
Letters from Mater in October targeted 25 schools across DCPS, but on Dec. 12, the district received notices from Mater withdrawing 23 of those letters of intent, district spokesperson Laureen Ricks confirmed to Jacksonville Today this week.
The withdrawal came “through sustained engagement and advocacy by both the School Board and the District,” Ricks wrote in an email to Jacksonville Today.
Ricks told Jax Today that Duval Schools is now evaluating the remaining two notices “in full compliance with (Florida) Senate Bill 2510 and applicable state guidelines.”
“The District and School Board will continue to advocate on behalf of our students, families, and schools,” Ricks wrote. “Transparent communication remains a priority, and updates will be shared as the process moves forward.”
News4JAX previously reported that Duval County Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier said the law is not actionable until 2027, but concerns remain for Hathaway.
“It’s wild to me that they’re thinking about handing the keys to our public schools over at no cost to these charter operators,” she said. “It makes no sense, and it will impact every child in Florida’s public education system.”
Earlier this month, a Duval County School Board workshop discussed Schools of Hope. Several board members wanted to move forward with a resolution on the law ahead of the legislative session, but Board Chair Charlotte Joyce said she wasn’t ready to take action. Hathaway shared her frustrations that the board hasn’t taken a unified stance.
“As a public school parent, I expect our school board to take a united and public stance against this law, and we’ve yet to see that,” she said. “We deserve strong advocates representing our public schools on our school board, and I’m very concerned that we have not seen them take a public stance yet. I am hopeful that they will vote to amend their legislative platform at the January school board meeting.”
A spokesperson for Mater Academy’s for-profit parent company, Academica, and Mater Academy President Roberto Blanch did not respond to requests for comment from Jax Today.
For more on the two schools still being targeted by Mater as “Schools of Hope,” visit JaxToday.org.