John Thrasher's war on public schools continue

If Thrasher has his way the board that runs your childs charter school doesn't have to be in the same city as your childs charter school, say goodbye to local control. -cpg

From the St. Petersburg Times gradebook.

by Tom Marshal

Charter bill would allow remote boards
TAMPA -- Having local representation for charter schools is important for the Hillsborough County School Board, which expects to approve four charter contracts at its Tuesday meeting.

Officials dug their heels in last fall, insisting that Fort Lauderdale-based Charter Schools USA form a local board for two new charters opening here.

Having a school's governing board located out of town creates problems, said supervisor Jenna Hodgens. Parents or district officials don't know who to talk to if the principal is unavailable or unhelpful, and they often get rebuffed at the corporate offices of a management company. The Internal Revenue Service looks at such issues when it's deciding whether a local charter school board is truly independent and deserving of tax-free status as a nonprofit, as opposed to being a front for a profit-making company.

Hodgens said Hillsborough got what it wanted. While the web sites for Charter Schools USA's two charters in Temple Terrace and Riverview say they're being governed by the nonprofit Lee County Charter Foundation -- which tends to meet in Broward County -- they'll eventually get a new board run by an entity called the Bay Area Charter Foundation.

"We talked about why it was important to us, and why we have difficulty when boards are not local, and they agreed," Hodgens said. "They are creating a new board and they have 12 months to do it."

It may have happened just in time. Under SB 1546, the bill sponsored by Republican Sen. John Thrasher to expand Florida's charter school system, governing boards could meet wherever they like. "The sponsor may not require that board members of the charter school reside in the district in which the charter school is located," it reads.

But even if it passes, Hodgens said she believes CSUSA will stick by its agreement.

"I really do," she said.

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/charter-bill-would-allow-remote-boards