Facilities Sharing Best Practices

Charter schools now educate 14% of Florida’s public school students, yet many spend up to a quarter of their operating budgets on facilities—resources that could otherwise be directed toward classroom instruction. At the same time, district enrollment has declined in recent years, even as districts continue to operate and maintain a growing number of school buildings. Despite these conditions, only a small share of Florida charter schools currently operate in district-owned facilities.

The brief examines key barriers to facilities sharing, including unclear statutory guidance, limited incentives for districts, and challenges accessing usable facilities data. It also outlines best practices that support collaboration, improve transparency, and help public education leaders make more efficient use of existing public assets.

Facilities Sharing Best Practices builds on FCI’s earlier research into enrollment trends and school facility use, offering a more focused look at implementation strategies and policy considerations. That broader analysis is explored in greater depth in the white paper Space to Succeed: Possibilities & Potential for Florida’s Underutilized School Buildings.