An administrative law judge Friday sided with Leon County in a enrollment-related dispute with a charter-school operator. Renaissance Charter School Inc. is building a multimillion-dollar facility in Tallahassee. It argued the Leon County School Board could not impose a March 1 enrollment deadline on the school. But the district school board said the deadline was needed to help plan for staffing.
Iin a 20-page ruling, Administrative Law Judge Barbara Staros said the county's insistence on the deadline does not violate state charter-school laws.
"Of course, RCS (Renaissance), as a party to any contract negotiation, is free to reject the charter contract, if it chooses not to become a charter school in Leon County,'' Staros wrote. "And, the parties may choose to continue to negotiate this issue."