HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A letter from the Hillsborough County School Board has been sent to Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran to explain the board's decision not to renew the contracts of several charter schools.

Corcoran had set a 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline to hear from the board. The board sent a letter that we've posted at the bottom of this story.

Meanwhile, about two dozen charter school supporters protested outside a board workshop Tuesday morning.

Marcie LaBlanc held up a sign and waved as passing cars honked at the group.

'I'm out here because I believe that parents should have a choice where they want to send their children to school," laBlanc said.

The board decided to hear from people who attended the meeting and wanted to speak.

Several parents said they want to have a choice in where their children attend school.

"That's what this is all about in education," said one woman at the podium. "We don't want our kids to be stifled in a situation that may not be best for them."

School board chairperson Lynn Gray said she is not against school choice or all charter schools.

But she and other board members expressed concerns at the last school board meeting about things like academic performance and financial stability.

"It's the actual quality of the learning environment that we are putting our children, my grandchildren, in. Is it the best we can have?" she said.

One woman got emotional talking about how her child has benefited from attending a charter school.

"My son needs a small environment and they took such good care of him," she said. "He not just survived, he thrived and it was amazing. I need that school," she said.

The board's attorney advised members not to comment about specifics and said that litigation is possible.

Corcoran has not indicated what his next move will be.