HB 1437 — Conversion Charter Schools

F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S CS/CS/HBCS/HB 1437 2026 A bill to be entitled An act relating to conversion charter schools;

amending s.

1013.62, F.S.;

authorizing conversion charter schools that meet specified criteria to be eligible for capital outlay funding;

9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

The mutual management plan shall contain a provision by which the district school Pageboard 1agrees ofto 7maintain CODING:charter school facilities in the same manner as its other public schools within the district.

Any Page 1 of 4 CODING:

hb1437-02-c2hb1437-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S CS/CS/HBCS/HB 1437 2026 boarddispute agreesregarding to maintain charter school facilities in the samemutual mannermanagement asplan itsshall otherbe publicresolved schoolspursuant withinto theparagraph district.(7)(b).

Any dispute regarding the mutual management plan shall be resolved pursuant to paragraph (7)(b).

An interlocal agreement entered into by a school district for the development of only its own schools, including provisions relating to the extension of Page 2 of 74 CODING:

hb1437-02-c2hb1437-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S CS/CS/HBCS/HB 1437 2026 school district for the development of only its own schools, including provisions relating to the extension of infrastructure, may be used by charter schools.

The agency having jurisdiction for inspection of a facility and issuance of a certificate of occupancy or use shall be the local municipality or, if in an unincorporated area, the Page 3 of 74 CODING:

hb1437-02-c2hb1437-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S CS/CS/HBCS/HB 1437 2026 facility and issuance of a certificate of occupancy or use shall be the local municipality or, if in an unincorporated area, the county governing authority.

Subsection (1) of section 1013.62, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

1013.62 Charter schools capital outlay funding.— (1) Charter school capital outlay funding shall consist of state funds when such funds are appropriated in the General Appropriations Act and revenue resulting from the discretionary millage authorized in s.

1011.71(2).

(a) To be eligible to receive capital outlay funds, a charter school must:

1.a.

Have been in operation for 2 or more years;

b.

Be governed by a governing board established in the state for 2 or more years which operates both charter schools and conversion charter schools within the state;

c.

Be an expanded feeder chain of a charter school within the same school district that is currently receiving charter Page 4 of 7 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

hb1437-02-c2 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S CS/CS/HB 1437 2026 school capital outlay funds;

d.

Have been accredited by a regional accrediting association as defined by State Board of Education rule;

e.

Serve students in facilities that are provided by a business partner for a charter school-in-the-workplace pursuant to s.

1002.33(15)(b);

or f.

Be operated by a hope operator pursuant to s.

1002.333.

2.

Have an annual audit that does not reveal any of the financial emergency conditions provided in s.

218.503(1) for the most recent fiscal year for which such audit results are available.

3.

Have not earned two consecutive grades of "F," three consecutive grades below a "C," or two consecutive school improvement ratings of "Unsatisfactory." 4.

Have received final approval from its sponsor pursuant to s.