Enrollment in many public schools is down, and this week, officials from the state department of education are walking through schools in Sarasota to figure out ways to use their empty spaces.
That’s after dozens of schools in the Tampa Bay area were put on notice that Mater Academy, a charter school chain based in Miami, intends to move in.
The district is fighting back and has until the end of November to respond. WUSF’s Kerry Sheridan spoke with school board member Tom Edwards about what’s at stake…