$314M nonprofit charter school operator targets region for major expansion

A Hialeah Gardens nonprofit charter school operator, attempting to utilize provisions in Florida's Schools of Hope law, has filed requests to occupy space in schools in at least four counties in the region: Hillsborough Manatee, Polk and Sarasota.

District officials in most cases are pushing back on the requests. One school board member, in Manatee, says the charter school entity would only get access to a school in that district over her "dead body."

The charter school organization is Mater Academy, which had $314.38 million in revenue in its 2024 fiscal year, according to public tax filings. That's up 40% from $227.39 million in revenue the prior fiscal year. Mater Academy's profits are also up, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990: from $19.1 million to $60 million, an increase of 214.13%. Mater Academy has $533.3 million in assets. 

On its website, Mater Academy says it “is an approved authorizer for Schools of Hope. This program is designed to promote and open high-quality schools in Federally Designated Opportunity Zones — or within a 5-mile radius of an Underperforming School — as indicated by the State of Florida.’’

Provisions of Florida’s Schools of Hope program originally allowed charter school operators certified by the state to co-locate on the campuses of chronically underperforming schools. Adapted last legislative session, the program was expanded to allow charters to occupy rent-free space in under-capacity schools.

Under such an arrangement, the host school district is required to provide the same kind of support as if the conventional public school was at capacity. Cafeteria, office support, gymnasium, utilities and other costs would remain borne by the school district.

Dozens of requests for space in schools around the state have been received in recent days. That includes eight in Polk, three in Sarasota, two in Manatee and 28 in Hillsborough. Brevard County, east of Orlando, received 27 requests. 

Emails and phone calls to Mater Academy's headquarters seeking comment weren't returned. 

Due diligence

In Manatee, Mater Academy has targeted space at Lincoln Middle School in Palmetto and a repurposed middle school building in west Bradenton — the Sara Scott Harllee Center on Ninth Street East in Bradenton.

Manatee officials, like their counterparts, in Sarasota and other districts, say because the new provisions are not yet in effect, the applications are invalid because charters are barred from seeking space until 14 days after the in-effect date. The rule changes are set to take effect Oct. 28.

Mater Academy proposes to serve nearly 1,700 students within five years on the two Manatee campuses, according to documents provided by the school district and signed by Mater Academy President Roberto C. Blanch.

Manatee School Board member Heather Felton pushed back at the proposals at a school board workshop. "Over my dead body are they going to take that building,'' Felton said at the meeting regarding the Sara Scott Harllee Center. "These businesses are not in it for the children,'' Felton said. 

School District of Manatee County Superintendent Laurie Breslin said there’s more to consider on those campuses that simple capacity numbers, such as educational programs and more. She told school board members the requests were not completely unexpected.

"We will continue to do our due diligence to be ready to respond to any letter,'' Breslin said. "What I don't want is for our schools that have been named to lose focus on providing the great instruction they provide every day in the classrooms."

Important roles

In Sarasota, meanwhile, Mater Academy has requested to co-locate operations at Emma Booker Elementary, Brookside Middle and Oak Park School campuses, according to Superintendent of Sarasota County Schools Terry Connor. Like Breslin in Manatee, Connor says Mater's requests raise issues. 

Photo by Ian Swaby

“We have significant concerns about the impact these proposals would have on students, staff and programs currently in place at these schools,’’ Connor says. “These are established district-operated campuses that serve important roles in their communities.’’

Booker has been a B-graded school the last two years, Brookside scored a B and an A, and Oak Park serves children with disabilities. None would qualify as an “underperforming” school, so Mater Academy appears to be relying on the new provision in the Schools of Hope legislation. 

State data show declining enrollment at each of the three mentioned schools.

Emma Booker stands at 58% capacity, Brookside stands at around 43% capacity, according to district figures.

According to the Sarasota County Schools website, Oak Park has under 217 students.

In its three letters to Sarasota County Schools, Mater Academy proposes to serve up to about 1,800 students on the three campuses within five years. The letters also seek floor plan copies and access to facilities for in-person inspections. Schools of Hope regulations also allow a school district to propose an alternate site, though acceptance "remains at the operator’s discretion."

Connor says the district intends to fight the proposal from Mater Academy to begin operating in the 2027-28 school year.

“The primary avenue available to the district is to submit formal objections based on material impracticability, as provided in statute,’’ he says. “The district intends to exercise this right within the required timelines.”