The Atlanta Board of Education voted unanimously Monday to authorize the district’s oldest charter school to continue to operate for another five years.

Charles R. Drew Charter School, which opened in 2000 in the East Lake neighborhood, enrolls about 1,900 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade.

The school’s current charter, authorized by Atlanta Public Schools, expires on June 30, 2022.

The board agreed to renew the contract for another five years, allowing the school to continue to operate through June 30, 2027.

The renewal now goes to the State Board of Education for final approval.

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Uta Thomas picks up her son, Jax, during a public hearing in Atlanta on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. She implored the school board not to close Dunbar Elementary. 
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Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com

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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC