6A-6.0786. Forms for Charter School Applicants and Sponsors

(1) Persons or entities submitting a charter school application must use Form IEPC-M1, Model Florida Charter School Application, effective August 2024 (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16845), pursuant to Section 1002.33, F.S. Form IEPC-M1 is hereby incorporated by reference and may be obtained electronically on the Department’s website at http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org, or from the Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400.

(2) Sponsors shall evaluate Model Florida Charter School Applications using Form IEPC-M2, Florida Charter School Application Evaluation Instrument, effective December 2019 (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-11358). Form IEPC-M2 is hereby incorporated by reference and may be obtained electronically on the Department’s website at http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org, or from the Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400.

(3) Upon approval of a charter school application, the sponsor shall have thirty (30) days to propose an initial proposed charter contract to the charter school. The sponsor shall use Form IEPC-SC, Florida Standard Charter Contract, effective August 2024, (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16846), as the basis for the initial draft contract. Proposed deletions to Form IEPC-SC must be displayed as strike-through text. Proposed additions to form IEPC-SC must be displayed as underlined text. The applicant and the sponsor have forty (40) days thereafter to negotiate and notice the charter contract for final approval by the sponsor unless both parties agree to an extension. Additional components may be included in a charter school contract if mutually agreed upon by both parties. Form IEPC-SC is hereby incorporated by reference and may be obtained electronically on the Department’s website at http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org, or from the Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400.

(4) For all charter contract renewals, charter schools and their sponsors shall use the Florida Standard Charter Renewal Contract (Form IEPC-SCR). This shall be the basis for the renewal draft contract. Proposed deletions to Form IEPC-SCR must be displayed as strike-through text. Proposed additions to form IEPC-SCR must be displayed as underlined text. Additional components may be included in a charter school renewal contract if mutually agreed upon by both parties. Form IEPC-SCR is hereby incorporated by reference (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16847) effective August 2024 and may be obtained electronically on the Department’s website at http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org, or from the Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400.

(5) A high-performing charter school system may replicate its high-performing charter schools in any school district in the state. The applicant must submit an application using Form IEPC-HPS1, the Model Florida Charter School Application High-Performing Charter School System Replication (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-15917), effective September 2023, pursuant to Section 1002.332(2)(b), F.S. Form IEPC-HPS1 is hereby incorporated by reference and may be obtained electronically on the Department’s website at http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org, or from the Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400.

(6) Sponsors shall evaluate high-performing system replication applications using Form IEPC-HPS2, the Model Florida Charter School Application High-Performing Charter School System Replication Evaluation Instrument (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-08912), effective January 2018. Form IEPC-HPS2 is hereby incorporated by reference and may be obtained electronically on the Department’s website at http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org, or from the Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400.

(7) Persons or entities submitting a virtual charter school application must use Form IEPC-VI, Model Florida Virtual Charter School Application, effective September 2023, (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-15918), pursuant to Section 1002.33, F.S. Form IEPC-VI is hereby incorporated by reference and may be obtained electronically on the Department’s website at http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org, or from the Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400.

(8) Sponsors shall evaluate Model Florida Virtual Charter School Applications using Form IEPC-V2, Florida Virtual Charter School Application Evaluation Instrument, effective February 2016 (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-06305). Form IEPC-V2 is hereby incorporated by reference and may be obtained electronically on the Department’s website at http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org, or from the Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400.

(9) Upon approval of a virtual charter school application, the sponsor shall have thirty (30) days to propose an initial proposed charter contract to the virtual charter school. The sponsor shall use Form IEPC-SVC, Florida Standard Virtual Charter Contract, effective November 2023, (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16024), as the basis for the initial draft contract. Proposed deletions to Form IEPC-SVC must be displayed as strike-through text. Proposed additions to form IEPC-SVC must be displayed as underlined text. The applicant and the sponsor have forty (40) days thereafter to negotiate and notice the charter contract for final approval by the sponsor unless both parties agree to an extension. Additional components may be included in a virtual charter school contract if mutually agreed upon by both parties. Form IEPC-SVC is hereby incorporated by reference and may be obtained electronically on the Department’s website at http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org, or from the Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400.

(10) For all virtual charter contract renewals, virtual charter schools and their sponsors shall use the Florida Standard Virtual Charter Renewal Contract (Form IEPC-SVCR). This shall be the basis for the renewal draft contract. Proposed deletions to Form IEPC-SVCR must be displayed as strike-through text. Proposed additions to form IEPC-SVCR must be displayed as underlined text. Additional components may be included in a virtual charter school renewal contract if mutually agreed upon by both parties. Form IEPC-SVCR is hereby incorporated by reference (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16025) effective November 2023 and may be obtained electronically on the Department’s website at http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org, or from the Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400.

(11) Applicants completing Addenda A, B, or C, pursuant to the model application shall use Form IEPC-M1A, Applicant History Worksheet, (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-05518), effective August 2015. Form IEPC-M1A is hereby incorporated by reference and may be obtained electronically on the Department’s website at http://www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/, or from the Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400.

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02(1), (2)(n), 1002.33(6), (28) FS. Law Implemented 1002.33(6), (21), 1002.331, 1002.332(2) FS. History–New 10-25-10, Amended 7-9-12, 12-23-14, 8-6-15, 2-9-16, 12-20-16, 1-1-18, 12-22-19, 11-22-22, 9-26-23, 11-21-23, 8-27-24.