Becki Campbell is the principal of Sancta Familia Academy, a private K-8 religious school that is in the process of relocating to Orange County, Florida. A local church agreed to rent its space to the school, which to Becki, seemed like the perfect solution. A new law (HB 1285) came into effect on July 1, 2024 which permits a private school to use facilities owned by a church under the church facility’s current zoning, without any need to obtain a special use permit or other zoning relief.
Feeling optimistic, Becki went to the Orange County zoning office to get a certificate of use. But things didn’t go as smoothly as she’d hoped. Instead of a straightforward approval, she was told she’d need to go through a special exemption process. According to the county attorney, the law only applied if the church had previously been used as a school. Becki was stunned. This didn’t match her understanding of the law at all.
Determined to keep moving forward, Becki reached out to the edupreneur support team with yes. every kid. foundation. in July 2024. She connected with Lynn Swanson from YESF who agreed that the county attorney’s interpretation didn’t line up with what the law was supposed to accomplish.
Lynn recommended that Becki try one more time to explain the law’s intent directly to the zoning office. So, Becki went back and made her case, pointing out that the whole point of HB 1285 was to make it easier for private schools to use certain spaces without jumping through a lot of zoning hoops. But despite her best efforts, the zoning office and the county attorney didn’t budge.
At this point, it was clear something more was needed. As an attorney, Lynn proposed drafting an official letter to the zoning office and county attorney to clarify the statute. The letter broke down the law’s wording and emphasized the intent behind the law: it wasn’t supposed to be limited to spaces that had already been used as schools.
Finally, on November 1, 2024, Becki got the answer she’d been waiting for. The zoning office approved her application for “Pending Use,” meaning Sancta Familia Academy can use the church premises as a private school if the space passes a few site inspections. After months of back-and-forth, her zoning struggle was finally over, and she could start focusing on her real mission: relocating and reopening Sancta Familia Academy.
Becki’s story is a great reminder for other education entrepreneurs (or “edupreneurs”) in Florida. If you’re planning to use a library, community service organization, museum, performing arts venue, theater, cinema, church facility, any facility or land owned by a Florida College System institution or university, any similar public institutional facilities, or any facility recently used to house a school or licensed child care facility for your private school and run into zoning issues, don’t give up! The edupreneur support team with yes. every kid. foundation. is there to help.
For more details about HB 1285 and how it affects zoning for private schools in Florida, read “Zoning Relief for Florida Private Schools” on the YESF website. Understanding your rights can make all the difference, and Becki’s journey proves that with tenacity and the right support, you can overcome obstacles and bring your educational vision to life.