Georgia Charter Schools Committee seeks clarity on overturning denials

By D. Aileen Dodd

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Georgia Charter Schools Committee postponed discussion of an appeal by three petitioners until the state gets more clarity on its power to reverse the denials of its alternate authorizer. The petitioners were hoping to serve students next fall.

Elissa Eubanks, eeubanks@ajc.com Linda Zechmann and the Georgia Charter Schools Committee seek more clarity on "legislative intent" regarding overturning denials of petitioners.

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State Board of Education members serving on the committee said Thursday that they didn’t want to waste the time of those seeking appeals, because they weren’t sure what the impact of their vote would be.

Imagine Marietta, an existing school of more than 200 students, along with the proposed MET South High School and West Chatham Preparatory Academy have asked the state school board for another look at their petitions. The three were rejected by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission in December for a variety of reasons, including academic and governance issues.

Committee member Brian Burdette said the board has been flooded with letters from Imagine Marietta asking them to save the school.

“We have received lots of letters … ‘Oh please overrule the commission so we can start up as a charter for next year,’ ” he said. “They all think if this board overrules [the commission] they are automatically a charter. Right now, if I overrule you all’s decision, it means nothing.”

Georgia’s charter schools law allows the state school board to overrule a decision of the Georgia Charter Schools Commission if they have a super majority -- two-thirds vote. The law, however, does not specify what would happen next if the board overturns a denial.

Only the charter commission can supply its schools with full funding, that includes a local matching share for the education of students. Charter schools approved by the state board would receive only state and federal dollars.

“We are in the process of looking for legislative intent,” said Linda Zechmann, committee chair. “It is not clear for us.”