Let Classrooms Stay EMPTY

By Indivisible Mandarin Member Pat Wojciechowski

As published in The Florida Times Union's Letters to the Editor, Sunday, December 14, 2025

Update 12/23/25: Of the proposed Schools of Hope, 23 are no longer up for consideration in Duval County. Mater's for-profit parent company has since withdrawn all but two of its letters of intent in Duval.

This letter is in response to Jeremy Hodges’ letter about the misnomer “Schools of Hope.”  These Schools of Hope are actually Charter Schools which are hoping to bamboozle Duval County Schools into allowing them to use any vacant classroom ( as well as toilet facilities, cafeterias, libraries, playgrounds, etc.)  And for this privilege, they do not wish to pay a cent for their use, either as rent or as a purchase.

All charter schools are privately owned businesses; they are provided money via the voucher system initiated by Gov. DeSantis. This money, as you know, is taxpayer money.

As businesses, Charter Schools are seeking ways to either make or save money because they must make a profit from their investments. So under the guise of doing something “good” for Duval County Schools, they want to appropriate empty classrooms for Charter School students’ use (and to enhance their profiteering).

 While they haven’t stated it explicitly, they would also need to have facilities for the needs of students in these Schools of Hope to include paying custodians, security and safety staff, nursing staff, disciplinary accommodations, guidance providers, and provisions for  transportation, all separate from the Duval County Schools provisions. They do not want to pay a dime for these privileges.

Hodges asked, ”Should these classrooms sit empty?” I say that unless Schools of Hope is prepared to pay DCPS for the use of these classrooms - all the services they require - then yes, let them stay empty.

Patricia Wojciechowski

 Jacksonville