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District previews charter-status changes in schoolsBy SARAH SCHWEITZER © St. Petersburg Times, published August 30, 2000 TAMPA -- Hillsborough school officials released details Tuesday showing how the school system would be run if it becomes a charter district, a status that would free it from state regulations they consider burdensome. They hope to avoid 26 rules governing a broad range of issues, from school size to teacher placement, budgeting and the purchasing of books and computer software. "In addition to having the flexibility to work outside state statutes that may have limited us in the past, it will also allow us to feel more free to think outside the box," said Donnie Evans, an assistant superintendent. Last month, Volusia County on the east coast became the first school district in Florida to become a charter district. Hillsborough is scheduled to present its charter district proposal to Gov. Jeb Bush and the Cabinet Sept. 12. The Hillsborough School Board would vote on the proposal the same day. If approved, Hillsborough would become the largest charter district in the nation, though only a handful of school systems, many in California, have signed onto the charter district idea. The contract proposal offered to School Board members Tuesday was the most comprehensive look yet at how Hillsborough envisions itself as a charter district. For instance, freeing the district from strict rules about how state money can be spent would improve efficiency and allow more funds to be directed to instructional programs, according to the proposal. The district would also like to bypass restrictions on school size, saying it is better positioned than the state to determine the size of schools and their organization. The district would like the freedom to determine how many hours are needed for a high school credit and whether physical education should be required in high school. It would like greater choice of educational materials and in assigning teachers to grades. In addition to relief from state regulations and rules, the proposed contract also laid out 16 performance goals. Among them: improve reading and SAT scores, raise the graduation rate above 75 percent and the attendance rate from 94 percent to 96 percent, improve the public's view of the district and ensure that the district has 10 percent more qualified applicants for vacancies in every academic category. The contract, which would run from Oct. 1, 2000 to June 30, 2003, is a requirement for charter district approval and would be a binding agreement between the state and the county. The contract proposal comes after more than a year of planning and development. Approved by the Legislature last year, charter school districts are similar in concept to individual charter schools, which were approved in Florida in 1996. Charter schools are public schools that operate free of a school district's rules and regulations. Hillsborough has 14 charter schools. Under a charter, the entire school district is granted freedom from state rules and regulations in exchange for a promise that student performance will improve. Hillsborough was one of three districts to apply last year. Volusia County won charter status in July, while Sarasota County is awaiting a hearing with the governor and Cabinet.
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