The DeKalb County School District will delay submitting an application for a charter district designation, taking more time to study other options following public hearings on the potential system change.
Superintendent Steve Green recommended seeking an extension on the application deadline, which is at the end of the month, during the Board of Education meeting on Oct. 5.
“Based on the feedback from more than 15 community hearings, among many questions and concerns raised, the issues of equal education access and the capacity of Local School Governance Teams to govern were at the top,” the district said in a statement.
To become a charter district, a school system pledges to increase student performance in return for freedom from mandates such as state rules on pay scales, teacher certification and in-seat time for students.
All districts across the state had to submit letters of intent with regards to their governance by June 30. Options for the school districts include charter, a Strategic Waivers program and Status Quo, or no change.
"From the suggestions, charter district arose as the best option," Regional Superintendent Trenton Arnold said last month. "But what should it look like? We've tried to listen to the community and glean what the application would look like."
One thing that would change, he said, is the role parents play in their child’s education. Becoming a charter district allow more local governance in the schools, beefing up the importance of parental engagement.
“It’s a key factor for the success of any school,” Arnold said.
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