FAQs for Parents


Who can help parents if there is an issue at school?

Every charter school’s governing board is required to appoint a representative to facilitate parental involvement, provide access to information, assist parents and others with questions and concerns and resolve disputes. The qualifications of that representative are unknown at this time because charter schools don’t have the same qualification requirements for staff and teachers as public schools. The new structure would require that the representative must live in Newberry.

There will also be less transparency under the new district structure. Each charter’s governing board is only required to hold two public meetings per school year in the district. Currently, the Alachua County School Board holds two meetings per month.

Are there new or different parental involvement requirements?

Many charter schools require parents to fulfill a certain number of volunteer hours, or attend or assist with a certain number of events or attend monthly parent-teacher meetings. If the parents fail to meet the requirements their child can simply not be admitted the following year.

Who gets to go to the schools?

It isn't nearly as clear cut as proponents would make it seem. According to the law (FS 1002.33) the School Board and a governing board mostly controlled by the Newberry city commission must mutually agree to re-draw the school zone every three years and set the capacity of the schools.


Because of the way the law is written, the first preference will be based on the existing school district, and therefore every student will be eligible. If applications exceed allotted student slots then it automatically becomes a lottery system. While the preferences listed below may still apply, the remainder of the seats will be subject to a lottery.

On the FL Department of Education FAQ for Charter Schools, under “Who is eligible to attend charter schools?” It states:

“Charter schools are open to all students residing within the district; however, charter schools are allowed to target students within specific age groups or grade levels, students considered at-risk of dropping out or failing, students wishing to enroll in a charter school-in-the-workplace or charter school-in-a-municipality, students residing within a reasonable distance of the school, students who meet reasonable academic, artistic or other eligibility standards established by the charter school, or students articulating from one charter school to another. Additionally, a charter school may give enrollment preference to the following student populations:

1) Siblings of current charter school students

2) Children of a charter school governing board member or employee

3) Children of employees of the business partner of a charter school-in-the-workplace or resident of the municipality in which such a charter is located

4) Children of residents of a municipality that operates a charter school-in-a-municipality

5) Students who have successfully completed a voluntary prekindergarten program provided by the charter school during the previous year

6) Children of an active-duty member of any branch of the US Armed Forces.

7) Students who attended or are assigned to failing schools”


This proposal could result in students who live close to NES, OVMS, or NHS being bused to a different school, while students from further away would be responsible for their own transportation to school.

Will any students at the school now have to leave?

Yes, many students could potentially be forced out of Newberry under the new district’s structure. Enrollment criteria will be determined by a governing mostly controlled by the Newberry City Commission. Advocates of the charter system say that all current students will remain at Newberry schools throughout their education but unforeseen circumstances could very well change that promise. Those who don’t wish to be in the charter school system will need to travel to the next nearest school, which would likely either be Buchholz High School in Gainesville or Santa Fe High School in Alachua. Because those children remain in public schools, transportation must be provided by Alachua County Public Schools, putting further strain on its transportation system.

What happens when capacity is reached?

The boundaries are set in conjunction with the School District, so the charter school can't unilaterally shrink the boundaries. Kids within the city limits will not be guaranteed a spot until the boundaries are shrunk to be the same as the city limits

Will students have to apply and be accepted to the schools or will they get in automatically like with current public schools?

All students will need to apply. Even students living within the charter schools' boundaries will have to apply.

Will fifth graders return to Newberry Elementary from Oakview?

Maybe? Just as the Alachua County Public School system is trying to make changes to crowding that will help 5th graders return to Newberry Elementary, city leaders say they also want that. But under the new district, leaders will have to make that decision at a later date.

In order to accomplish that, they’d either have to build capacity, without access to capital outlay funds because they don’t get those as a conversion charter school, or they’d have to reduce the amount of children incoming to cap enrollment at capacity to keep their class size promise.

Will students have to pay tuition to attend these schools?

No. Charter schools are legally not allowed to charge tuition or registration fees. (s.1002.33(9),F.S.)

What happens with Archer?

Students from the City of Archer might be eligible to attend Oakview Middle School and Newberry High School after leaving Archer Elementary School, just as other zoned areas can. There is no guarantee, however, that will happen. Zoning and eligibility will be determined by a governing board that is mostly controlled by the Newberry City Commission, along with their stated intention to reduce enrollment.

Will these schools be private or religious? Could they become that?

While the new public charter schools must follow state and federal standards, the curriculum is unknown but could lead to religious teachings based on the beliefs of those pushing for the change and those in charge of decisions.

Will conservative or liberal political ideologies be pushed as a result of this?

The new schools may create more policies that adhere to traditional conservative and religious policy-making. Some of those pushing the charter change have shared their devout religious beliefs, anti-LGBTQ stances and anti-masking ideologies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Given the fact that it is being fronted by a former employee of a right-wing political consultancy and that Commission Marden is an officer of the extremist radical right-wing John Birch Society, we have serious concerns over how they would influence the curriculum.

Will discipline policies change?

It is expected that these policies will change, as members of the Newberry City Commission (which would control a majority of governing board) have expressed frustration with some of the equitable disciplinary policies currently in place. Under new leadership, school administrators will have the ability to craft new policies that are more strict which could result in more students being disciplined. Advocates of the charter system have no current plan to address that discipline is equitable to all students, regardless of race and gender.
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