Parents and students looking to keep their charter schools open after a state Supreme Court ruling invalidated the Georgia Charter Schools Commission were advised Friday to go back to local districts for approval.
Georgia school Superintendent John Barge and lawmakers said they were pushing local boards to consider applications from commission schools quickly.
Many of these charter schools already had been rejected by their local school boards and instead sought approval by the state commission.
What happens to the more than 15,600 students and their schools could impact Georgia's economy, said state Sen. Fran Millar, R-Dunwoody. “Education is one of the most important economic development tools we have. We are being looked at by the world in how we deal with this situation."
Millar, who chairs the Special Sub-Committee for Education and Youth, promised those in attendance at the state Capitol that leaders from the governor on down "are urging local boards wherever possible to approve these schools."
If the 16 commission schools get local approval they could continue to be fully funded. If they are only approved by the state, they could lose up to $40 million -- about half of their budgets. As state special charter schools, they would only be funded with state and federal funds and not receive local matching dollars.
Barge said the state has waived some charter application deadlines and is allowing local districts flexibility to approve the schools with a one-year charter instead of a five-year charter so they can begin operating in August. Local districts then could continue with their lengthy screening process to see if they want to keep the new charter schools open beyond that.
"We are going to get bureaucracy out of the way and take care of students,” Barge said.
Long-term solutions on charter school funding would have to be taken up by the Georgia Legislature, which could propose a constitutional amendment allowing the schools to be funded like other public schools or develop a voucher program for the students, Millar said.
The meeting attracted a standing-room-only crowd of about 300. Among them were parents, students and faculty members from Atlanta Heights Charter School, which brought three buses and a caravan of more than 100 people.
“Our parents have told us they didn’t care what the ruling said, they will be there on Aug. 8 and the doors better be open,” Principal Melissa Jones Clarke said.
Atlanta Public Schools officials have told the school it is too late to consider applications because resources are already being allocated to two new charters opening this year and in 2012.
"It's not about funds, it's about the resources," said Allen Mueller, APS charter schools director. "Like any other new school, we need to be able to support them. "
Mueller said he welcomes the school to apply in the next round. "We can't just wave a magic wand and say we are going to authorize you. We want to do a thoughtful job."
Elsewhere, the Gwinnett County school system is working with Ivy Preparatory Academy on getting its application ready for consideration. Cherokee County Schools officials have a June 30 meeting to consider Cherokee Charter Academy.
For commission schools that do not win local approval, a special called state school board meeting will be held in late June to consider their state applications.
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