9 Investigates: Charter school defends spending tax money on commercials

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — In just a few months, a new school will open on the south side of Orange County.

Renaissance Charter School will open in the late summer off Boggy Creek Road.

The K-6 school plans to welcome 661 students on that first day--and to help fill those classrooms, a media campaign paid for with tax dollars.

According to documents requested by 9 Investigates, Renaissance has budgeted $148,725 for marketing in 2017-2018, $55,539 in 2018-2019 and $40,498 in 2019-2020.

A representative from Renaissance confirmed tax money is being used for the ads, which have been airing on local cable, saying the school needs to advertise its opening so parents and students will know it is there.

“Charters have a different set of rules,” says Orange County Public Schools board member Linda Kobert. “The school district, the state of Florida, and the taxpayers have no say in how charters spend those taxpayer dollars.”

Florida spends $7,923 each year per student; Renaissance’s marketing is enough money to pay for 18 kids to go to a public school for a year.

9 Investigates requested an on-camera interview with Renaissance or with Charter Schools USA, the for-profit company hired by Renaissance to run its schools.  A media representative declined the on-camera interview, but did answer questions over the phone, saying the ad spending is “smart marketing” and adding, “Parents choose charters for a variety of reasons. We have to market it to let parents know it is there.”

Renaissance insisted that it is not alone in spending tax money on marketing, saying other schools do the same.

9 Investigates dug through the budgets for both Orange County and Seminole County, finding no spending on external advertising.

Seminole County did say it has had some billboards donated in the past, but does not as a practice spend money on ads.

Instead, the county builds the schools in neighborhoods that are close to where people live, responding to growth and demand.

The new Renaissance Charter School is less than 5 miles from three existing elementary schools: Eagle Creek, East Lake, and Narcoossee Elementary schools.

Eagle Creek is an “A” rated school and East Lake and Narcoossee are both “B” rated schools.

“We have very little oversight where they locate, the students that they serve and we can only step in when there is a crisis, either financially or academically,” says Kobert.

Watch: 9 Facts about charter schools

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