Governor Rick Scott has signed a bill designed to expand charter schools.  Scott signed the bill into law Monday at the Hope Charter School in Ocoee.

He also ceremonially signed four other education bills he previously signed into law.

He then headed for a parochial school in St. Petersburg and a charter school in Fort Lauderdale to hold similar ceremonies for all five bills.

The charter school law goes into effect Friday. It will let charter operators that earn high-performing status to enroll more students and open more schools.

It also offers charter schools more state training and technical assistance.  Charter schools are taxpayer funded but are operated by private interests or in some cases governmental entities other than school districts.