Exclusive: Legalize marijuana, say most Georgians in an AJC poll
Education
Education

Charter school protection bill becomes law

By Ty Tagami
April 22, 2015

Gov. Nathan Deal has signed legislation designed to protect state-authorized charter schools from local officials.

House Bill 372, also known as the Utopian Academy for the Arts Act, is named after a Clayton County charter school that opened late last fall. Officials in Riverdale required a license to operate, and the academy couldn’t get one because disputes involving the school’s lease held up a prerequisite inspection.

Yet state agencies had inspected the school and authorized its opening. The new law allows state charter schools to open with the necessary state approvals.

“This bill will protect state charter schools from local officials who seek to obstruct the opening” of those schools, Deal said when signing the bill into law Tuesday.

About the Author

Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.

Follow Ty Tagami on facebookFollow Ty Tagami on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Members of Columbia University's student workers union and their supporters protest the detention of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil and recent actions taken by the Trump administration against the university, Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (Jason DeCrow/AP)

Credit: AP

Georgia judge sides with international students in blow to White House

It’s the biggest victory yet for internationals fighting back against President Trump’s administration after it canceled the legal status of thousands of foreign students.

Georgia faculty ask universities to stand up to White House on policy changes

Professors at Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State and Emory want their schools to hold firm against any efforts to curtail institutional autonomy.

An Emory research study on Alzheimer’s comes to abrupt halt after feds yank funding - Clone

Emory University researcher Whitney Wharton's study on Alzheimer's was cancelled by the Trump Administration. She says it was pulled because it focused on the LGBTQ community.

The Latest

Members of Columbia University's student workers union and their supporters protest the detention of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil and recent actions taken by the Trump administration against the university, Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (Jason DeCrow/AP)

Credit: AP

Georgia judge sides with international students in blow to White House

Georgia faculty ask universities to stand up to White House on policy changes

An Emory research study on Alzheimer’s comes to abrupt halt after feds yank funding - Clone

Featured

A new poll from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution explored what Georgians thought about the first 100 days in office of President Donald Trump’s second term. Photo illustration by Philip Robibero/AJC

Credit: Philip Robibero/AJC

Interactive: What Georgia voters think about Donald Trump’s first 100 days, the issues and 2026 election

Explore the AJC's interactive poll results to see how Georgians' opinions differ about politics based on their gender, age, race, education, income and political leaning.

Dickens administration aims to wipe out $33M deficit before budget cycle begins

According to the mayor’s office, the original $33 million deficit — about 3% of last year’s general fund budget — has already been reduced by half.

Gwinnett judge won’t apply Kemp’s new lawsuit limits to landmark trial

The judge overseeing a landmark trial in Gwinnett County refused to apply Gov. Brian Kemp’s new lawsuit-limiting legislation to the case.