For education entrepreneurs looking to open or operate a private school, finding a viable and affordable location to house a school is often very challenging. Thanks to a new bill that will amend private school regulations in Florida, some relief is on the horizon. HB 1285 will amend Florida Statute 1002.42 to enable private schools to use certain types of facilities under existing zoning and land use designations, no rezoning or special use permits required.
The zoning relief applies to facilities on property owned or leased by a church, library, community service organization, museum, performing arts venue, theatre, or cinema provided it is or was actively used for such purposes within five years. Also included are any facilities recently used to house a school or licensed child care facility, any facility or land owned by a Florida College system institution or university, or any similar public institutional facilities. The relief is applicable whether the private school leases the premises or purchases the premises.
Unfortunately, these changes do not apply to learning environments that operate in accordance with homeschool laws, so there is no relief for homeschool resource centers, microschools that choose not to register as private schools, or tutoring centers. However, private tutors who meet the requirements of the compulsory attendance laws as set forth in Florida Statutes 1002.43 are granted similar zoning relief for private tutoring of up to 25 students. The relief also includes the use of any commercial building with a valid certificate of occupancy.
Although the bill minimizes the impact of zoning codes, private schools should be aware that they must still meet applicable state and local health, safety, and welfare laws, including fire safety and building safety. These amendments take effect on July 1, 2024
Reach out to the Edupreneur Support Program at yes. every kid. foundation. if you would like more information about how this change may impact your learning environment or if you have any other questions about how regulations affect starting or operating an unconventional learning environment. Yes Foundation believes in the power of education entrepreneurs to transform education for the better and we want to help you succeed.
