PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) – Education was top of mind on Monday as Governor Ron DeSantis visited Warrington Preparatory Academy in Pensacola.
A bill in the Florida House would streamline the process for converting failing schools to charter schools, just as Warrington Prep did last year when Charter Schools USA took over the old Warrington Middle School.
“You can have success in many of your schools but if you have some of these schools that are languishing, and they’re F schools, and no one’s doing anything about it, then you’re just telling these kids that you don’t care about them and that’s unacceptable,” Governor Ron DeSantis said.
The bill, backed by the governor, aims to eliminate lengthy negotiations between school districts and incoming charter schools.
“We have to focus on the students, and what happens to these students who are sitting for years in a failing school for years not getting what they need. They do not get that time back,” Manny Diaz Jr., Florida Commissioner of Education said.
By the time Escambia County Public Schools reached an agreement with Charter Schools USA last year, only about 60 days were left to prepare for the next school year.
Since that transition, both the school’s dean and the Charter Schools USA State Superintendent say they’re seeing progress.
“I love the fact that we are now on a trajectory of growth and passion when it comes to making sure our students are prepared for success not only in their lives but the future generations that are following,” Caleb Lovely, a dean at Warrington Preparatory Academy said.
“When you lift the expectations and you put them high, students will rise to those expectations. We’re seeing it through the growth of their progress monitoring,” Dr. Eddie Ruiz, Florida State Superintendent for Charter Schools USA said.
The bill also ensures charter schools give preference to kids in the previous school zone and serve the same grade levels as the previous school.
HB 1285 also covers other topics.
It would limit how often people without children in the school district can object to books, and establish “Purple Star School Districts” which have 75% of schools in the Purple Star program that support military families.
