APS won’t name the 27 groups who want to manage local public schools

Atlanta Public Schools officials won’t identify the charter school operators and other groups who have applied to manage some of Atlanta’s worst schools.

The school district received 27 responses to its call for groups to come in and improve schools at risk of falling under state control if voters approve Gov. Nathan Deal's Opportunity School District plan this fall, district spokeswoman Jill Strickland said Tuesday.

But the school district refused to release any of those applications in response to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution Open Records Act request, citing a state law that permits the records to be kept private until after the school board votes on the matter.