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Charter schools can be highly effective when they operate successfully.
In Sarasota County, Florida, where charter schools come under intense scrutiny, several institutions have demonstrated strong performance and stability, with many experiencing significant growth.
The Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences (SSAS) serves as a prime example. Established in 1997 and consistently rated an “A” since 2006, SSAS is recognized not only as one of the leading charter schools in the district but also as one of the highest-performing schools overall.
Emphasizing a well-rounded educational experience, SSAS embodies the innovative spirit that charter schools aspired to when they first emerged nearly four decades ago. The school provides a diverse range of clubs and activities designed to help students pursue their interests.
Principal Tara Tahmosh has been with SSAS since 2000, taking on the leadership role in 2012. She notes that the curriculum is crafted to prioritize emotional development alongside academic achievement.
“Our goal is for students to acquire both knowledge and life skills, such as resilience and compassion,” Tahmosh explained. “We want them to cultivate passions and interests that last a lifetime.”
Tahmosh is seen engaging with students during transit periods at the charter school located in the Rosemary District of downtown Sarasota.
According to Tahmosh, the collaboration with Sarasota County Schools is beneficial, as the district assigns a liaison for charter school discussions while maintaining a largely hands-off approach unless assistance is explicitly requested.
“Typically, they stay out of our way unless we hit a snag,” she stated. “Their support is focused on those in need.”
This dynamic creates a flexible relationship where charter schools such as SSAS can operate independently yet have the support of the district when necessary.
However, the charter school sector is evolving as more institutions emerge, increasingly contending for both student enrollment and district resources.
More: What is the structure of charter schools within Sarasota County?
The concept of school choice — the idea that families decide where their children will attend school— has gained momentum recently, especially in Florida, which has implemented extensive legislative measures to promote this option.
Millie Wheeler, the supervisor of school choice for Sarasota County Schools, has witnessed this shift firsthand.
“School choice is expanding across the country, particularly in Florida,” Wheeler observed. “The evolving laws support this growth.”
Instead of opposing charter schools, Sarasota County Schools has opted to adapt, embracing this trend and entering into head-to-head competition with charter options. This relationship signifies a unique collaboration rather than a rivalry, as both entities impact each other’s success.
The rise of charter schools in Florida
The concept of charter schools was introduced in 1988 by Al Shanker, president of the American Federation of Teachers. He envisioned a new educational model designed to empower educators to experiment with teaching methodologies.
Charter schools were intended to liberate instructors from rigid regulations, allowing them to implement innovative educational approaches and provide equitable access to quality education for all students.
Florida embraced the charter school concept in 1996, permitting private organizations to establish charter agreements with school boards. Since then, the number of charter schools has surged across the state.
As of now, Florida boasts over 730 charter schools serving nearly 400,000 students.
In Sarasota County alone, there are currently 14 charter schools, and the numbers are on the rise. Here’s a snapshot of the enrollment figures:
College Preparatory at Wellen Park: 417 students, grades K-8
Dreamers Academy: 528 students, grades K-5
Imagine School at North Port: 1,221 students, grades K-12
Imagine School at Palmer Ranch: 432 students, grades K-8
Island Village Montessori School: 528 students, grades K-8
Sarasota Academy of the Arts: 190 students, grades K-8
Sarasota Military Academy: 985 students, grades 6-12
Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences: 745 students, grades 6-8
Sarasota Suncoast Academy: 822 students, grades K-8
State College of Florida Collegiate School: 285 students, grades 9-12
SKY Academy Englewood: 321 students, grades 6-8
SKY Academy Venice: 285 students, grades 6-8
Student Leadership Academy: 326 students, grades 6-3
Suncoast School for Innovative Studies: 93 students, grades K-5
While the ideal vision for charter schools seems promising, the reality presents challenges.
Although charter schools receive public funding, they frequently rely on additional fundraising to cover expenses not fully addressed by state and district contributions. These schools are required to remain accessible to all students in the district, yet often tailor their offerings to specific groups or academic focuses. Furthermore, although they develop their curriculums, their students must still meet state educational standards in critical areas such as reading and math.
Recent legislative changes have relaxed the restrictions around starting new charter schools. For instance, districts face financial consequences when denying charter applications that lead to state appeals, thus motivating them to approve more applications out of financial prudence.
Sarasota County experienced this dynamic firsthand last March when the Sarasota School Board approved the Sarasota Classical Preparatory Academy charter proposal with a 4-1 vote despite some reservations from board members. The institution is expected to accommodate up to 1,100 students in the 2026-2027 academic year.
More: Progress for Sarasota charter school development near Fruitville Road
School Board member Tom Edwards expressed concerns over the implications of recent legislation, noting a loss of agency in the decision-making process.
“The board feels constrained,” Edwards stated. “School choice is now an established fixture, and we must adapt.”
The balance of risk and reward
The autonomy afforded to charter schools in crafting their own educational strategies represents a major draw for prospective founders. Dan Kennedy, the founding principal of the Sarasota Military Academy, attributes much of his school’s success to this independence.
With experience as a principal at Sarasota High School, Kennedy recognized the potential of students involved in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program and envisioned a specialized academy dedicated to nurturing those students.
Kennedy’s innovative approach was also informed by budget management strategies that empowered him at Sarasota High, allowing him to utilize his funding efficiently, ultimately finding financial success.
“That experience solidified my belief in the charter school model,” he said. “It provides the freedom to innovate while maintaining structure.”
However, with that freedom comes inherent risk. Financial mismanagement or a downturn in enrollment can present significant challenges.
Suncoast School for Innovative Studies, under the leadership of principal Fayth Jenkins since 2022, faced severe difficulties in the wake of the pandemic, suffering from decreased enrollment and funding shortages.
This school in Sarasota caters to students in grades K-5.
The school experienced declining performance ratings over several years, hovering between “C” and “D” grades. In response, the district introduced a corrective action plan aimed at revitalizing the school, which Jenkins is now implementing.
Recently, Suncoast School has shown signs of improvement, earning higher grades from the previous year. Fundraising efforts have also proven effective; however, Jenkins faced immense pressure to defend the school’s charter amidst its struggles or risk closure.
While the district has played a role in guiding Suncoast School’s recovery, Jenkins highlights the responsibility rests largely with her and her team.
“As a ‘D’ rated school with limited resources and low enrollment, we had no choice but to get to work,” Jenkins remarked.
The connection between charter schools and school districts
The autonomy that charter schools enjoy is significant, but they are not completely separate from district oversight.
Charter schools exist in a nuanced gray area — partly independent yet also under the purview of their respective districts. While the districts do not dictate a charter school’s curriculum, these schools are still subject to state testing requirements, and their performance directly affects the district’s ratings.
In the 2023-24 academic year, Sarasota County reported that 51 schools received an average grade of 65.3% from the state, whereas the county’s 14 charter schools had an average of 61.6%. Excluding charters from the calculations raises the district’s average to an impressive 66.4%.
Although the percentages differ slightly, they are critical: The bar for achieving an “A” grade sits at 62%. Thus, if Sarasota’s charter schools constituted their own district, it would achieve a “B” grade.
Charter school performance is not uniform, with no clear delineation between the successes of charter schools and traditional public schools.
For instance, Student Leadership Academy achieved a score of 76, ranking it as the sixth highest in the district, closely followed by the State College of Florida Collegiate School at 75. Both SSAS and Sarasota Suncoast Academy also ranked in the top tier. In contrast, among the lowest-performing schools, the results were evenly split between charters and traditional public institutions.
Charter schools also share in the financial landscape of the district, with a portion of the district’s $1.7 billion budget designated for charters. Increased enrollment in these schools has resulted in greater funding, given the way state funding structures are arranged.
The Florida Education Finance Program determines funding distributions based on actual student enrollment, known as Full Time Equivalent (FTE) figures, which can fluctuate with district demographics.
For the 2024-25 school year, the FTE allocation for Sarasota County was reportedly $14,669 per student, adjusted for inflation. As enrollment has risen, charter schools have benefited significantly from the increased funding.
Purchased services for charter schools account for 5% of the school district’s $1.7 billion budget for the year.
Funding for charter school services has consistently climbed, rising 31% from the 2020-21 budget to the 2024-25 budget. The 2023-2024 budget alone earmarked an additional $10 million for charters, reflecting the establishment of new institutions like the College Preparatory at Wellen Park.
However, there isn’t always a direct correlation between the financial gains of charter schools and the losses experienced by traditional public schools, according to Sarasota County Schools CFO Bonnie Penner. Although traditional schools benefit from an increase in students, the departure of students also entails a loss of associated costs.
“Some people assume that the money lost to charters equates to a one-to-one loss for the district,” Penner stated. “In reality, the situation is more complicated.”
The financial and operational dynamics between the district and charter schools have sparked ongoing debates surrounding accountability. Advocates for traditional public schools argue that districts lack the authority necessary to effectively manage underperforming charters, whereas charter school leaders insist they are held accountable from multiple angles.
State law outlines several scenarios that may prompt a district to revoke a charter, including failure to engage with the state’s accountability mechanisms, fiscal mismanagement, legal violations, or other valid reasons. Nonetheless, supporters of charter schools argue that accountability is built into the system through community engagement.
Lynn Norman-Teck, the executive director of the Florida Charter School Alliance, emphasized that parents and students exert considerable influence over charter schools’ success, akin to district oversight. If a charter fails to meet educational needs, enrollment declines will prompt closure.
“Parents will look elsewhere if your school isn’t fulfilling its mission,” Norman-Teck pointed out. “The funding is directly tied to student enrollment.”
Growing competition through school choice
The rise in school choice among parents coincides with increasing support from state government. In 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis’s administration instituted universal school choice policies, allowing more than 1.4 million Florida students to access school choice programs.
This trend is mirrored across the United States, where recent political shifts encourage an exploration of allocating more public funds for charter schools and private education options to enhance school choice.
With the expanding choices available, Sarasota County Schools now face increased competition from alternative education options, including private, virtual, and charter schools. In response, the district has invested in various marketing strategies to retain and attract students, producing online publications, podcasts, and new video content since the beginning of Superintendent Connor’s tenure in 2023.
“To navigate the expansion of school choice, we need to adopt business practices,” Connor explained. “We must be mindful of our operations.”
As of now, traditional public schools are still the preferred choice for many families. According to the budget for 2024-25, 69% of the 49,962 students enrolled in Sarasota County Schools are in conventional elementary, middle, or high schools.
The proportion of students attending charter schools represents just 14.6% of the district’s total enrollment figures.
Connor expressed confidence in the continued appeal of traditional public schools, asserting that, although charter schools may offer unique programs such as dual-language curriculums or advanced STEM courses, the district excels at teaching foundational subjects that will continue to draw students.
“We’re in a competitive landscape,” Connor stated. “Choice plays a crucial role, and we aspire to be the top option.”
For charter schools, the pathway to establishing credibility and earning community support can be arduous. Once a charter school finds stability and builds trust, it can function smoothly. However, demonstrating viability is a prerequisite for that success.
If this fundamental necessity isn’t met, as Principal Tahmosh of SSAS remarked, there’s little protection available.
“It creates a survival mentality,” she explained. “You must succeed; reliance on external support is not an option.”
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