The bill amends Florida Statutes concerning charter schools and lab schools, introducing new provisions and clarifying existing regulations. It designates charter schools as public facilities for concurrency purposes, allowing their inclusion in local comprehensive plans. Lab schools are permitted to use discretionary capital improvement funds for specific purposes, such as purchasing real property and constructing facilities, with a requirement that expenditures remain at or below appraised value. The bill also sets new deadlines for charter schools, establishes codes of student conduct, and revises sponsor responsibilities in monitoring these schools. Notably, charter school governing boards are empowered to create their own student conduct codes, which must meet or exceed sponsor standards.

Additionally, the bill allows high-performing charter schools to increase their student enrollment beyond the capacity specified in their charters, provided the increase does not exceed the facility's capacity at that time. Charter schools must notify their sponsors in writing by March 1 of any intended enrollment increases for the following school year. The legislation clarifies compliance requirements related to public meetings, records, and student welfare, while outlining sponsor responsibilities in providing services and access to student information systems. It also ensures that students in virtual instruction programs can participate in extracurricular activities under the same eligibility criteria as traditional students. Overall, the bill aims to enhance the operational framework and accountability of charter schools in Florida.

Statutes affected:
H 443 Filed: 1002.331
H 443 c1: 1002.331
H 443 c2: 1002.331, 1013.15, 1013.28
H 443 e1: 163.3180, 1002.331, 1006.195
H 443 er: 163.3180, 1002.331, 1006.195