Overview
- Districts reported a surge of notices this week, with Broward receiving 127 requests for 90 campuses and Palm Beach County getting 69 requests for 46 campuses to open beginning in 2027–28.
- Palm Beach formally objected to filings from BridgePrep Academy and Somerset Academy, saying they are not designated Hope operators under state rules; only Mater Academy and KIPP appear on the DOE’s current list.
- Time‑stamped submissions show the race for priority access: in Broward, Mater and KIPP filed at midnight, Somerset at 12:03 a.m., and BridgePrep at 12:33 a.m.; in Palm Beach, Mater filed at midnight, Somerset at 12:14 a.m., and BridgePrep at 1:03 a.m.
- Somerset’s eligibility could change pending a State Board of Education vote expected Thursday, while Academica, parent of Mater and Somerset, says it sent hundreds of notices but plans to open only a handful and will rescind others.
- The wave of filings is spreading beyond South Florida, with Brevard also receiving notices, as Sen. Darryl Rouson moves to repeal the co‑location mandate that critics say shifts resources from traditional public schools.