Renewal Process

Overview

Charter schools that have been successful in their operations, including meeting their student performance goals and implementing sound financial management, may apply for renewal of their charter. This page describes the procedure for submitting a renewal application.

Procedural changes

From time to time, actions by the Florida State Board of Education, the Florida Legislature, or the School Board of Lee County may result in modifications to the charter renewal process. This page may be updated to reflect such changes.

Process for allowing a charter to expire

At least 120 days before the scheduled end of a charter school contract, the Governing Board should submit written notification to the sponsor that it will allow the charter to expire without renewal.

Process for seeking charter renewal

At least 120 days before the scheduled end of a charter school contract, the charter school should submit a written request to the sponsor seeking renewal for a specified period of time, or notify the sponsor that it will allow the charter to expire without renewal.

Charter Renewal Process & Timeline

The Charter Office will initiate the Contract Renewal process with electronic notification to the Governing Board and the charter school principal regarding their charter’s expiration. 

 

I.  Letter of Intent

Each operator must submit a letter of intent from the Governing Board chair to the Office of School Choice and Administration. Please include a copy of the governing board minutes documenting the discussion and approval to pursue renewal.

 

Submit the Governing Board letter and supporting minutes by September of the contract ending school year via email to: [email protected].

 

II. Renewal Application

A.   The charter school must submit one (1) bound copy of the charter renewal application and one (1)

       USB electronic copy on or before 1:00pm on a set date in October of the contract ending school year. 

 Deliver to:

The School Board of Lee County 

Attention: Office of School Choice & Administration, Jaime Trotter

2855 Colonial Blvd. 

Fort Myers, FL 33966

 B.   Renewal Application Contents:

 

  • Charter Renewal Cover Sheet 
  • Table of contents (consecutive page numbers throughout, including attachments)
  • Tabbed sections
  • Overview
  1. Copy of submitted Letter of Intent
  2. Charter Renewal Application Certification Statement (including Governing Board minutes from when the application was approved)
  • Executive Summary 
  • Looking Back: Record of Performance
  1. Academic Performance
  2. Financial Performance
  3. Organizational Performance
  • Looking Forward: Plans for Next Charter Term
  • Consecutive page numbers throughout including attachments aligned with the table of contents 
  • Proper sources referenced on all tables, graphs, and other data 

 

C. Formatting Considerations:

  • Formatting: The text and attachments must use standard one‐inch margins, be paginated, and use a traditional typeface (e.g., Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial), no smaller in type size than 11 points. If a template is included in this document for a particular requirement, please fill in the template using the formatting provided.
  • Data: Tables, graphs, and other data, including student achievement data, must be presented, clearly explained, and directly relevant to the text. Please cite the source for any data used in the renewal document.
  • Renewal Application Checklist and Binder Organization: A copy of the Application Checklist and Binder Organization Form indicates that all items in the submission must be included. 

 

III. Site Visit

A renewal site visit will be conducted at the charter school and scheduled after the application has been submitted. In addition to the academic review, it will also include interviews with members of the governing board, school administration, and school staff (as applicable), parents, students, and community members (if any). This is a time to show off the school. The school will provide a few dates and times that will work for the visit to happen in November. The school will create the agenda and should include introductions, a presentation about the school, meetings with various groups (no more than 15 minutes each), and then a tour of the school and any additional things that you would like to include.


Related authorities

The renewal process is governed by §1002.33, F.S., School Board Policy 2.28, and related process documentation and flow charts.

Information and assistance

If you have any questions or need further information please contact the School District of Lee County Charter Office at [email protected].