Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced that the ‘schools of hope’ initiative will focus on the most challenging areas in the state, rather than high-performing schools. “They are going to the toughest areas that we have,” DeSantis said, emphasizing the limited geographical scope of these schools. Despite concerns from school districts about the potential impact on resources, DeSantis assured that the initiative would not be a fiscal burden. The program, which began in 2017, allows charter schools to operate near struggling schools, but recent applications have raised alarms about their locations. State Rep. Robin Bartleman expressed skepticism, stating that the applications indicate a trend towards stable, high-performing schools. DeSantis also highlighted the success of New York-based Success Academy, which has shown impressive proficiency rates.
