Proposed – Senate Bill 166 – 2020 Legislative Session
Senator Janet Cruz filed Senate Bill 166 addressing the approval of charter school applications in the 2020 legislative session. The bill was filed after the 2018 publication of Integrity Florida’s report titled The Hidden Cost of Charter School Choice: Privatizing Public Education in Florida. Among other policy recommendations, the report recommended establishing stricter criteria for approving charter school applications. Senate Bill 166 would have required charter school applications to demonstrate that they will meet certain needs the local school district does not or is unable to provide to students. The bill did not pass.