An Atlanta Public Schools advisory committee has recommended the district pursue “charter system” status, an organizational structure that gives the district more freedom from some state laws — and potentially a little more money — in exchange for greater state accountability.
Becoming a charter system is one of three options open to school districts across Georgia. Districts can also choose a model called “Investing in Educational Excellence,” or “IE2,” or reject both the charter and IE2 models.
The General Assembly adopted these new models in the late 2000s, after districts complained that state rules were tying them down.
But Georgia districts have a big financial incentive to pursue either charter status or “IE2.”
Rejecting both options may cause them to lose money-saving waivers that have allowed them to exceed state caps on class sizes and to cut attendance calendars below the minimum 180 days. The waivers, popular during the recession, are still used in most of Georgia’s 180 districts as a way to balance budgets.
In charter systems, officials must re-engineer central offices to support decision-making by local school governance councils. Under IE2 there’s no requirement for those governance councils. Both types of systems get waivers.
The Atlanta school board discussed the recommendation at its meeting Monday and could vote in November on submitting a letter of intent to the state Department of Education. If approved, APS could begin operating as a charter system by the 2016-17 school year.
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