Authorize
CHARTER AUTHORIZER
The Florida Charter Institute, known as FCI, is built around a simple belief: charter authorizing done well requires real expertise, sustained attention, and a team that treats the work as a full-time discipline, not an occasional administrative task. FCI brings together a group of dedicated, experienced professionals in governance, finance, school operations, compliance, and academics, all focused on helping authorizers meet the high bar set by practicing the Principles and Standards for Quality Charter School Authorizing published by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA). For institutions newly approved, or considering approval, as charter school authorizers under Florida law, that expertise translates into a turnkey consulting and operations partnership. FCI’s team stands up and runs the authorizing office on an institution’s behalf, so colleges and universities can offer this option to their communities with confidence, without having to build that capacity from scratch.
High-Quality Authorizing, Backed by a Dedicated Team
Today, FCI provides this support in two distinct capacities:
- Full Authorizing Services: FCI’s Authorizing Division manages the complete authorizing function for Miami Dade College, from application intake through ongoing school oversight.
- Back Office Business Services: FCI serves as the back office business provider for Pasco-Hernando State College’s authorizing office, supporting the college’s own authorizing staff with the administrative infrastructure needed to run the program.
FCI is actively expanding this model and welcomes conversations with any Florida College System institution or university considering, or newly approved for, charter school authorizing authority.
What FCI’s Back Office Authorizing Support Includes
Once a school is approved, an authorizer’s real work has just begun. Florida law and State Board of Education rule require authorizers to collect, verify, and maintain documentation across dozens of statutory categories before a school ever opens its doors, and to continue monitoring many of them throughout the school year. FCI’s back office team can manage any compliance infrastructure on behalf of its partner authorizers, including, but not limited to:
Governance & Charter Compliance
Financial & Operational Oversight
School Safety & Emergency Readiness
Exceptional Student Education & Student Services
Student Records, Enrollment & Student Information Systems
This is a representative sample of the compliance framework FCI manages on behalf of its authorizing partners; the full checklist for opening and ongoing monitoring covers dozens of additional statutory and rule-based requirements.
Aligned to the NACSA Principles and Standards
FCI’s authorizing practice is built on the Principles and Standards for Quality Charter School Authorizing, published by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, NACSA. These principles guide us: maintain high standards for schools, uphold school autonomy, and protect student and public interests. The table below shows how FCI’s day-to-day work carries out each of NACSA’s five core standards.
NACSA Standard | What It Requires | How FCI Delivers It |
Agency Commitment and Capacity | Organizational structure, staffing, and resources dedicated to authorizing with excellence. | FCI provides a full staff of authorizing professionals so partner institutions never have to build that capacity alone. |
Application Process and Decision Making | Clear, fair, and rigorous review of new school applications. | FCI runs the entire application cycle, from guidance and intake through capacity interviews and board recommendation. |
Performance Contracting | Charter contracts that clearly define autonomy, funding, oversight, and accountability terms. | FCI supports drafting and managing charter contracts that set clear, enforceable performance expectations for every school. |
Ongoing Oversight and Evaluation | Continuous monitoring of academic, financial, and operational performance, plus public reporting. | FCI’s back office team tracks compliance year-round and delivers the reporting authorizers are required to provide both with the SIS and Charters.link. |
Revocation and Renewal Decision Making | Transparent, data-driven decisions on whether a school continues to operate. | FCI compiles the academic, financial, and operational record authorizers need to make sound renewal and revocation decisions. |
Source: NACSA, Principles and Standards for Quality Charter School Authorizing, qualitycharters.org.
Our Authorizing Partners
Miami Dade College
FCI manages the full authorizing function for Miami Dade College. This includes application review, capacity interviews, board presentation and approval support, and ongoing oversight of every school authorized under the college.
Pasco-Hernando State College
FCI serves as the back office business provider for PHSC’s authorizing office, supporting the college’s staff with application review coordination and the administrative systems needed to operate as a charter school authorizer.
Considering charter authorizing for your institution? FCI can provide the same back-office and full-service authorizing support to other Florida colleges and universities.We can help your institution build an authorizing office. Our services are customized to your needs.
Schools Authorized by Miami Dade College
School | Grades | Opening Date | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
Civica Career and Collegiate Academy Homestead Charter School | 6 to 12 | August 2026 | |
Doral Academies K5 | K to 5 | August 2027 | TBD |
Doral Academies 6 to 8 | 6 to 8 | August 2027 | TBD |
Doral Academies 9 to 12 | 9 to 12 | August 2027 | TBD |
SLAM Innovation Middle School | Middle | August 2027 | TBD |
SLAM Innovation High School | High | August 2027 | TBD |
Interested in Partnering with FCI?
Whether your institution is exploring charter authorizing for the first time or already holds authorizing authority and needs back- office support to operate it well, FCI’s team brings the statutory expertise, compliance infrastructure, and administrative capacity to help. Contact the Florida Charter Institute to learn more.