Coral Springs Charter School May Finally Move: What Families and Homeowners Should Know

Updated September 25, 2026 with the latest from the City of Coral Springs and reporting on the September 23 commission discussion.

An A-Rated School in an Old Shopping Mall

If you've driven past the southeast corner of Sample Road and University Drive, you've seen one of the more unusual buildings in Coral Springs. About 1,700 students in grades 6 through 12 go to school inside what used to be the Coral Springs Mall, built in 1977.

Coral Springs Charter School opened there in 1999. It's a tuition-free public charter school, it's been rated an "A" for years, and it has a long waiting list. City leaders have said for years that it's in the wrong building. After roughly a decade of failed relocation plans, 2026 is the first year a move looks realistic.

Who Runs the School

This is a little unusual. The Broward County School Board grants the charter to the City of Coral Springs. The city owns the land and building and hires Charter Schools USA to run the school day to day. That's why moving the school is a City Commission decision, not a school district one.

City leaders have said the school's operations are paid for through state education funding, not city tax dollars. The building, though, is the city's, and it's getting old. In 2021 the city spent roughly $350,000 on the school's leaking roof alone.

A Decade of Plans That Didn't Happen

The city has tried to move the school several times:

• Betti Stradling Park (2017): Dropped after more than 4,200 residents signed a petition to save the park.
• Mullins Park: Floated more than once, and dropped over lost green space.
• Tamarac Sports Complex (2018): Approved, then abandoned. Parents didn't want the school seven miles away in another city.
• Performing Arts Center lot: Dropped over traffic near nearby schools.

Most of these died for the same reason: people in Coral Springs don't want to give up a park.

What's Different This Time

• A non-park site. The spot discussed most is vacant city land between the Coral Springs Gymnasium at 2501 Coral Springs Drive and the police department. Preliminary renderings show a two-story campus with science and career labs, a gym and an athletic complex.
• Charter Schools USA would pay for it. In June, city leaders said the company could cover as much as about $70 million of the cost. As Coral Springs Daily reported on September 2, the company says it plans to finance and build the new school with no money from the city beyond the land.
• A new management deal. Commissioners, acting as the school's board, voted 4-0 to renew the Charter Schools USA agreement through June 2029. The renewal sets up a separate agreement to design and build the new school.

What's Still Not Decided

At its September 23 meeting, the City Commission discussed the relocation and City Attorney John Hearn shared Charter Schools USA's letter of intent for relocation, construction and management. City Manager Catherine Givens described a possible public-private partnership with Charter Schools USA and Red Apple Development for a campus with capacity for up to 2,400 students. That is a proposal, not an approved campus or construction contract. The city says it is still identifying a location; no final site or opening date has been announced. Do not plan a move around a projected completion year.

How This Ties to the Sportsplex and Downtown

The new campus could use the Coral Springs Gymnasium, and the gym's programs would eventually move to a rebuilt Sportsplex. In June, commissioners chose to put the school first. In August they pushed a $1.17 million Sportsplex design contract until after the November 3 property tax vote. I covered the Sportsplex plan in an earlier post on this blog.

The old mall site matters too. It sits right at the "four corners," where Cornerstone and the new downtown are taking shape, and the city just rezoned 58 acres there for downtown mixed-use. If the school moves, that site becomes one of the most interesting pieces of land in the city.

What This Means for Coral Springs Homeowners and Buyers

• Families: Schools are one of the top reasons people buy in Coral Springs. A future campus could add capacity if the plan is built. Remember, admission is by application and lottery when applications exceed available spaces, with a preference for Coral Springs residents among other qualifying groups. Buying a home here doesn't guarantee a seat.
• Homeowners near Coral Springs Drive and Royal Palm Boulevard: A new school near the gym and police department would bring more traffic at drop-off and pickup times. It's worth following the site discussions.
• Homeowners near Sample and University: Freeing up the old mall site could add to the downtown's growth over time.
• Buyers: Consider school admission rules alongside the home itself. A place on a waiting list or a proposed future campus is not a guaranteed benefit of a particular property.

Thinking About Buying or Selling in Coral Springs?

If schools are a big part of your move, I'm happy to walk you through your options and what's changing around the neighborhoods you're looking at. Call or text me at (561) 289-9305 or email chris@homesbycusi.com.

Sources: Coral Springs Daily (September 2, 2026); TAPinto Coral Springs (September 2, 2026); Boca Post (August 11, 2026 Sportsplex coverage); Coral Springs Daily (September 9, 2026 rezoning coverage); Coral Springs Talk (September 25, 2026 commission update); City of Coral Springs relocation and admission guidance; The Friendly Scoop, "The School in a Former Mall" (thefriendlyscoop.com/news/coral-springs-charter-school-relocation-2026).