About the Author: Derek Gilliam | Suncoast Searchlight
Sarasota, Manatee deny charter co-location bids, potentially leaving fate to state
Sarasota and Manatee counties’ school districts have shut the door on Schools of Hope charter operators seeking space inside public campuses — for now. Both districts denied the Nov. 11 requests made by Mater [...]
Sarasota County faces lawsuit over controversial Siesta Key land swap
Sarasota County last month signed off on the final step of a land swap meant to end a years-long court battle over a stretch of sand on Siesta Key — only to find [...]
Manatee County Sheriff’s Office accused of double standard after September scuffle
As crowds looked on from a line waiting outside the Good Night John Boy nightclub in downtown St. Petersburg, bouncers of the bar had a man with a bloody face pinned to the concrete. [...]
Two charters vie for same Sarasota campuses under ‘Schools of Hope’
CORRECTION: This article has been updated to reflect the attribution of the statement from Sarasota County schools. On the very first day they could, two different charter school operators filed notices Tuesday to compete [...]
Sarasota Schools drafted a plan to prevent ‘Schools of Hope’ takeovers. Here’s what’s in it.
Sarasota County Schools has drawn up a sweeping plan to shrink its empty classroom space — and, in the process, try to shield itself from a new state law that allows charter schools to [...]
‘Schools of Hope’ law eyes underused public schools. But charters have empty seats, too
Florida’s new charter-school law promised to open more classrooms for kids. In Sarasota County, where enrollment has stalled and desks are supposedly sitting empty, it could just end up spreading school resources even thinner. [...]
Most Suncoast lawmakers quiet as charter school expansion fuels local upheaval
The same Suncoast lawmakers who voted earlier this year to let charter schools move into underused public campuses have stayed quiet as a Miami-based charter operator’s early push to occupy local schools set off [...]
‘Over my dead body.’ Manatee schools prepare to battle charter takeover plans
Two Manatee County school facilities are targets in a large charter school company’s rush to take over dozens of underused schools across the state. Miami-based Mater Academy Inc. sent the notices to the School [...]
As Manatee targets illegal casinos, other counties’ crackdowns paid off
Marion County was riddled with storefront gambling dens — until it passed a local ordinance in 2021 that gave deputies more power to shut them down. Within months, the slot-machine parlors vanished. Sumter County saw [...]
‘Hostile takeover’: Charter operator files to occupy 3 Sarasota schools
Mater Academy Inc., a Miami-based charter school operator, has submitted notices to occupy three Sarasota County public school campuses, marking a sharp local escalation of the state’s newly expanded “Schools of Hope” law, which allows [...]
Pam Ames takes on Arcadia’s toughest job: Saving Main Street
Pam Ames set out the donuts, stacked red clipboards in a neat pile and draped T-shirts across the tables, hoping at least half of the 100 volunteers she needed would appear that sunny Saturday [...]
Sarasota County seeks stormwater rate increase. But audit finds millions available.
Sarasota County administrators are stiff-arming recommendations from a stormwater consultant and plan to push another rate hike on residents despite a new audit showing the utility could have more than $70 million over the [...]
