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 requirements for charter schools regarding deadlines, student conduct codes, and enrollment increases, while revising sponsor responsibilities in monitoring these schools. Additionally, it empowers charter school governing boards to create their own codes of student conduct, which must meet or exceed sponsor standards, and establishes enrollment preferences for certain student populations.

Moreover, the bill allows high-performing charter schools to increase their student enrollment beyond the capacity identified in their charter, provided it does not exceed the facility's capacity at the time of the increase. It mandates that charter schools notify their sponsors in writing by March 1 of their intent to increase enrollment for the following school year. The bill also outlines sponsor responsibilities in providing administrative and educational services, including access to student information systems and timely payments for services under the National School Lunch Program. It emphasizes transparency and accountability by requiring sponsors to report on services rendered and administrative fees withheld from charter schools, ultimately aiming to enhance operational flexibility while ensuring compliance with educational standards.

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