State launches investigation into Broward schools related to charter school funds

The state is investigating whether Broward schools shortchanged local charter schools out of a possible $86 million from a 2018 voter-approved referendum, according to a letter sent Thursday by Education Commissioner Manny Diaz.

The investigation was announced one day after the school district filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit by Renaissance Charter Schools, one of about a dozen charter providers that have sued the school district in recent months seeking referendum dollars.

“It has recently come to my attention that the Broward County School District is not complying with Florida laws requiring it to share revenue collected via a discretionary tax … with its charter schools,” Diaz wrote in his letter to Superintendent Peter Licata.

“This letter serves as notice that I have opened an investigation into the allegation of noncompliance described above, and employees from the Department may soon reach out to the district for documentation and other information relevant to this alleged noncompliance,” Diaz wrote. “Your district’s cooperation in this matter is expected.”