The District Board of Trustees of Miami Dade College will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. The meeting will begin at 8:00 a.m. The meeting will be held at the Wolfson Campus located at 300 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami, Florida in the James K. Batten Community Room (Room 2106) and via livestream at https://www.mdc.edu/livestream
During the meeting, The District Board of Trustees will consider the promulgation of the below new Rules under the new “Chapter X” titled “Charter Schools”, pursuant to its authority as provided in Section 1001.64(4)(a), Florida Statutes.
Rule Number: X-1
Rule Title: Charter School Sponsorship Purpose and Authority
Laws Implemented: Sections 1002.33 and 1004.88, Florida Statutes; State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.0790, Florida Administrative Code
Rule Summary: Establishes the purpose, scope, and governing authority for how Miami Dade College (MDC) sponsors Florida charter schools, including the core authorizing principles and the delegation of day-to-day oversight to the Florida Charter Institute (FCI). Reserves key decisions, including application approvals and denials, charter contracts and amendments, renewal, non-renewal, termination, and adoption of authorizing policies, to the MDC Board of Trustees.
Rule Number: X-2
Rule Title: Charter Contract Timeline, Negotiation and Amendments
Laws Implemented: Section 1002.33, Florida Statutes; State Board of Education Rules 6A-6.0790 and 6A-6.0786, Florida Administrative Code
Rule Summary: Governs MDC’s process for negotiating and executing charter contracts and for processing post-execution amendments, with FCI leading negotiations and MDC retaining final approval. Defines three categories of amendments—technical, substantive, and material—and the approval path for each, with material amendments requiring MDC Board of Trustees approval.
Rule Number: X-3
Rule Title: Oversight and Monitoring Framework
Laws Implemented: Section 1002.33, Florida Statutes; State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.0790, Florida Administrative Code
Rule Summary: Establishes the standards MDC and FCI use to oversee sponsored charter schools across all domains, including an annual monitoring calendar, regular site visits, and records reviews, with enforcement proportionate to the severity and frequency of deficiencies. Requires each school’s governing board to report progress annually to MDC, which forwards the report to the Commissioner of Education.
Rule Number: X-4
Rule Title: Performance Management and Corrective Action
Laws Implemented: Sections 1002.33 and 1001.42, Florida Statutes; State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.0790, Florida Administrative Code
Rule Summary: Creates a rigorous evaluative process that holds sponsored charter schools accountable for student academic outcomes against the standards in their charter contracts and applicable state and federal frameworks, prioritizing outcomes over methods. Authorizes FCI to initiate structured interventions—such as corrective action plans or school improvement plans—and proportionate enforcement when performance expectations are not met.
Rule Number: X-5
Rule Title: Administrative Fees and Sponsor Services
Laws Implemented: Section 1002.33, Florida Statutes; State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.0790, Florida Administrative Code
Rule Summary: Ensures sound fiscal oversight, strong internal controls, and the transparent assessment, collection, and use of sponsor administrative fees as authorized under Section 1002.33(20), Florida Statutes. Permits MDC to charge for additional sponsor-provided services to sponsored schools, with FCI establishing clear invoicing standards and payment timelines.
Rule Number: X-6
Rule Title: Financial Oversight
Laws Implemented: Sections 218.39, 218.503, 1002.33, and 1002.345, Florida Statutes; State Board of Education Rules 6A-6.0790 and 6A-1.0081, Florida Administrative Code
Rule Summary: Establishes a rigorous framework for consistent financial reporting and evaluation of sponsored charter schools’ financial condition, sustainability, and compliance with contractual and legal requirements. Provides for escalation proportionate to the severity, duration, and impact of deficiencies, with unaddressed audit findings or failure to meet fiscal management standards constituting good cause for non-renewal or termination.
Rule Number: X-7
Rule Title: Complaints, Investigations and Dispute Resolution
Laws Implemented: Sections 1002.33 and 1001.42, Florida Statutes; State Board of Education Rules 6A-6.0790 and 6A-6.0791, Florida Administrative Code
Rule Summary: Establishes a structured, documented, and impartial system for receiving and prioritizing complaints, conducting investigations under consistent protocols, and resolving disputes between MDC and sponsored charter schools. Protects parental rights for complaints involving student welfare under Section 1001.42(8), Florida Statutes—including coordination of special-magistrate requests—and provides for mediation when appropriate.
Rule Number: X-9
Rule Title: Federal Programs Governance
Laws Implemented: Section 1002.33, Florida Statutes; State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.0790, Florida Administrative Code
Rule Summary: Defines how MDC, through FCI, fulfills its local educational agency (LEA) responsibilities for federal education programs administered on behalf of sponsored charter schools, including ESEA (and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act), IDEA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Carl D. Perkins Act, except for schools designated as their own LEA. Requires the capacity, systems, and controls to ensure compliance, monitor use of federal funds, implement corrective actions, and coordinate audit responses.
Rule Number: X-10
Rule Title: Exceptional Student Education and English Language Learners
Laws Implemented: Section 1002.33, Florida Statutes; State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.0790, Florida Administrative Code
Rule Summary: Affirms MDC’s framework, as the local educational agency (LEA), for exceptional student education (ESE) and English language learner (ELL) services provided to students in sponsored charter schools, ensuring compliance with applicable state and federal requirements. Implementation is governed by the FDOE-approved MDC ESE Plan and ELL Plan, which FCI is responsible for maintaining and updating in accordance with state and federal law.
Rule Number: X-11
Rule Title: School Safety Oversight
Laws Implemented: Sections 943.082, 1001.212, 1002.33, 1006.07, 1006.12, 1006.1493, and 1012.584, Florida Statutes; State Board of Education Rules 6A-1.0017, 6A-1.0018, 6A-1.0019, and 6A-6.0790, Florida Administrative Code
Rule Summary: Establishes guidelines for MDC and FCI to verify, monitor, and document charter school compliance with Florida school safety statutes and rules—including the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, safety incident reporting, safe-school officers, emergency and reunification planning, code of conduct, and anti-bullying requirements—while preserving school operational autonomy. Requires MDC to establish a threat management team and designate a coordinator overseeing threat management at all sponsored schools.
Rule Number: X-12
Rule Title: School Nutrition Program Governance
Laws Implemented: Section 1002.33, Florida Statutes; State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.0790, Florida Administrative Code
Rule Summary: Establishes MDC’s oversight framework, as the local educational agency, for charter school participation in the National School Lunch Program, including eligibility determinations, reporting, and funds-flow controls. Limits FCI’s role to verification, documentation, and compliance assurance rather than the direct operation of school nutrition services.
Rule Number: X-13
Rule Title: Accountability, Assessment, and Data Reporting
Laws Implemented: Sections 1002.33, 1008.22, 1008.23, 1008.24, 1008.25, and 1008.31, Florida Statutes; State Board of Education Rule 6A-6.0790, Florida Administrative Code.
Rule Summary: Establishes the governance framework for MDC, as the local educational agency, to ensure sponsored charter schools participate in Florida’s accountability and assessment systems with accurate, high-integrity data submission. Focuses FCI’s role on verification, coordination, and compliance assurance rather than the direct operation of school-level instructional or data systems unless required by the Florida Department of Education.
Rule Number: X-14
Rule Title: Educator Credentialing, Professional Learning, and Misconduct Reporting
Laws Implemented: Sections 1002.33, 1012.22, and 1012.796, Florida Statutes; State Board of Education Rules 6A-6.0790 and 6A-10.082, Florida Administrative Code
Rule Summary: Establishes MDC’s framework, as sponsor and local educational agency, for overseeing educator credentialing, professional learning, and the reporting of educator misconduct at sponsored charter schools to ensure qualified instructional staff and high ethical standards. Charges FCI with verification, coordination, and compliance assurance while leaving school-level personnel decisions and actions to the schools.
RULE TEXTS AND PUBLIC HEARING REQUEST:
To request copies of the proposed new rules or to request a public hearing, contact Office of Legal Affairs, Miami Dade College, 300 N.E. 2nd Avenue, Room 1453, Miami, Florida 33132 or legal@mdc.edu within 21 days of this Notice.
APPROVED BY:
Madeline Pumariega – College President
Maryam Laguna Borrego, Ed.D. – Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief of Staff
At the meeting, The Board of Trustees may also discuss potential real estate transactions.
If a person decides to appeal any decision made at this meeting, he or she will need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be heard.
Individuals with disabilities as defined under the American with Disabilities Act who wish to attend the meeting and need special accommodations can request them by calling 305-237-2577 or 711 (Relay Service) not later than 7 business days prior to the meeting.
Dated this 22nd day of June 2026
Madeline Pumariega
College President