A program once pitched as a lifeline for families stuck in failing schools has now morphed into one where charter schools are vying to occupy vacant space in existing schools, even ones that are A-rated.

“Schools of Hope,” which are a special type of charter school, were created after a 2017 law authorized the state to provide incentives to high-performing charter operators from around the country to open in neighborhoods with schools designated as “persistently low performing.”

There are now about 12 in the state, but the number of schools of hope is expected to skyrocket in the next few years due to a recent change in state law that allows operators to co-locate rent-free on traditional school campuses.

The change has reignited a long-standing debate over whether charter schools, wh

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