New Charter School Process

Applicant-History-Worksheet (Form IEPC-M1A)

Individuals or groups interested in opening a charter school in Hernando County must submit a Florida Charter School Application to the District School Board of Hernando County for review. The application must meet the requirements of Section 1002.33, Florida Statute, all related federal and state statutes and regulations, and any additional requirements as set forth by the District School Board of Hernando County under District School Board Policy. Charter School Policies can be found on www.hernandoschools.org under Policy 3.90 Charter Schools. This document should be reviewed by all applicants for specific Board Policies with respect to the formation and operation of Charter Schools within Hernando County.

Before beginning the application process, individuals or groups are encouraged to schedule an appointment with the Supervisor of School Choice to discuss the application process and to learn more about charter schools in Hernando County and throughout the state of Florida. Please contact the District School Board of Hernando County’s Academic Services Department at 352-797-7000 to arrange an appointment with the Supervisor of School Choice.

Procedure

1. Individuals, groups, organizations and businesses interested in learning more about charter schools or the application process should contact the district’s Charter Schools Department for an application packet. The packet includes an application and useful information to assist the applicant in submitting a quality application. District staff is also available to answer your questions.

2. Applicants should submit a “letter of intent” to the Supervisor of School Choice no later than December 1, 2024. The “letter of intent” should include information about the individuals or group proposing the charter school, the school’s mission and purpose, the educational program and curriculum, the target population, number of students to be served and grade configuration, and the proposed location of the school. Please provide the name of the contact person for the school, as well as an address, telephone number, e-mail address and fax.

3. Completed applications are due to the Supervisor of School Choice by 4:00 p.m. on February 1, 2025. Thirty bound and tabbed copies, with pages numbered consecutively, of the completed application are required. Applications must be delivered directly to:   

   Dawn Williams, Supervisor of School Choice
   Hernando County School District
   919 N. Broad Street
   Brooksville, FL 34601

4. The Charter Review Committee, comprised of district staff with expertise in each area of the application, will utilize a rubric that is aligned with Section 1002.33, Florida Statutes, and other pertinent statutes and regulations to review each application. In addition, applicants will be required to attend an interview with the Charter Review Committee. Applicants are requested to demonstrate flexibility in the scheduling of interviews.

5. The Charter Review Committee will make its recommendations to the Superintendent regarding the quality of each application and its adherence to the requirements under Section 1002.33, Florida Statutes and all other pertinent statutes and requirements.

6. The Superintendent will submit a recommendation to the School Board of Hernando County to approve or deny each charter application.

7. Within the time period required by law, The School Board of Hernando County, at a regularly scheduled school board meeting, will vote to approve or deny the charter application. Applicants will be informed in advance of the time and date of the school board meeting.


Contact Information
Dawn Williams
Supervisor of School Choice
(352) 797-7000 extension 448