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Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Lori White (left) and School Board Chairwoman Jane Goodwin prepare for the start of the June 17 workshop. Photo by Rachel Hackney An Aug. 19 discussion could lead to a Sarasota County School Board policy denying funds to new charter schools from its capital budget and from the pool of revenue the school dis- trict collects as a result of its special 1-mill tax. The School Board considered nine charter applications last year and five in 2012. It has letters of intent indi- cating at least seven could come up for review this year. The board is set to make a decision on the latest group in early October. "Why are so many people coming into Sarasota County?" asked Chairwoman Jane Goodwin during the board's June 17 workshop. "We have the third-best school district in the state. We have great [state test] scores. … We have great facilities. We do things very, very well from a business standpoint, operationally, as well as from [a teaching standpoint]. Why are they coming here? … Is it money?" The Sarasota district provides its charter schools with a total of $1,450 per student out of its referendum A CHANGE IN ALLOCATIONS? IN AUGUST, THE SCHOOL BOARD WILL TRY TO SETTLE ON A POLICY FOR DISBURSEMENTS OF CERTAIN DISTRICT FUNDS TO NEW CHARTER SCHOOLS We do want [new charter schools] to be successful, but maybe they don't need our money to be successful. Jane Goodwin Chairwoman Sarasota County School Board By Rachel Brown Hackney Editor