Florida HB 1393: City of Tampa, Hillsborough County

Bill Text

HB 1393 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1393-00
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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to charter schools; amending s. 2
1002.33, F.S.; authorizing state universities and 3
Florida College System institutions to sponsor job 4
engine charter schools; requiring specified tax funds 5
be provided to the sponsor of a job engine charter 6
school annually; defining the term "attendance zone"; 7
providing an effective date. 8
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 10
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Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) and paragraph 12
(a) of subsection (5) of section 1002.33, Florida Statutes, are 13
amended, and paragraph (e) is added to subsection (15) of that 14
section, to read: 15
1002.33 Charter schools.— 16
(3) APPLICATION FOR CHARTER STATUS.— 17
(b) An application for a conversion charter school must be 18
made by the district school board, the principal, teachers, 19
parents whose children are enrolled at the school, or the school 20
advisory council at an existing public school that has been in 21
operation for at least 2 years before the application to 22
convert. A public school-within-a-school designated as a school 23
by the district school board may also apply to convert to 24
charter status. A municipality seeking to attract job-producing 25

HB 1393 2026

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entities by establishing a job engine charter school pursuant to 26
paragraph (15)(c) may apply to a the district school board, 27
Florida College System institution, or state university to 28
convert an existing public school to a charter school. An 29
application submitted proposing to convert an existing public 30
school to a charter school must demonstrate the support of at 31
least 50 percent of the parents voting whose children are 32
enrolled at the school, provided that a majority of the parents 33
eligible to vote participate in the ballot process, according to 34
rules adopted by the State Board of Education. A district school 35
board, Florida College System institution, or state university 36
that denies an application for a conversion charter school shall 37
provide notice of denial to the applicants in writing within 10 38
days after the meeting at which the district school board denied 39
the application. The notice must articulate in writing the 40
specific reasons for denial and must provide documentation 41
supporting those reasons. A private school, parochial school, or 42
home education program is not eligible for charter school 43
status. 44
(5) SPONSOR; DUTIES.— 45
(a) Sponsoring entities.— 46
1. A district school board may sponsor a charter school in 47
the county over which the district school board has 48
jurisdiction. 49
2.a. A state university may grant a charter to a lab 50

HB 1393 2026

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school created under s. 1002.32 and shall be considered to be 51
the school's sponsor. Such school shall be considered a charter 52
lab school. 53
b. A state university may grant a charter to a 54
municipality establishing a job engine charter school. 55
3. Because needs relating to educational capacity, 56
workforce qualifications, and career education opportunities are 57
constantly changing and extend beyond school district 58
boundaries: 59
a. A state university may, upon approval by the Department 60
of Education, solicit applications and sponsor a charter school 61
to meet regional education or workforce demands by serving 62
students from multiple school districts. 63
b. A Florida College System institution may, upon approval 64
by the Department of Education, solicit applications and sponsor 65
a charter school or a job engine charter school in any county 66
within its service area to meet workforce demands and may offer 67
postsecondary programs leading to industry certifications to 68
eligible charter school students. A charter school established 69
under subparagraph (b)4. may not be sponsored by a Florida 70
College System institution until its existing charter with the 71
school district expires as provided under subsection (7). 72
c. Notwithstanding paragraph (6)(b), a state university or 73
Florida College System institution may, at its discretion, deny 74
an application for a charter school. 75

HB 1393 2026

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d. The Charter School Review Commission, as authorized 76
under s. 1002.3301, may solicit and review applications for 77
charter schools overseen by district school boards and, upon the 78
commission approving an application, the district s