Overview
- At an Orlando briefing, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Schools of Hope would open only in a few high-need communities such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville, predicting most Floridians will not notice them.
- DeSantis praised Success Academy as a preferred operator and highlighted a reported $50 million pledge from Ken Griffin, while data show Success has so far requested space on five Miami-Dade campuses.
- Under the 2025–26 budget, state-approved operators can use underutilized district facilities rent-free, with school systems covering maintenance, custodial work, transportation and food services.
- Districts report a flood of notices—about 690 across 22 systems—with many requests aimed at A- and B-rated schools; Palm Beach and Broward say they have rejected nearly all applications reviewed to date.
- Hillsborough’s school board urged lawmakers to scale back access and add safeguards as the education commissioner defended the policy and warned noncompliant districts, while Mater/Academica said it expects to open only a handful of sites in 2027–28 and will rescind unused notices.