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Published Saturday, February 11, 2012 in Local

Another vote in works on charter school legislation

By Rebecca Leftwich

The Newnan Times-Herald

Some Georgia lawmakers appear to be as unwilling to give up on charter schools as the charter schools themselves.

After surprising Republican leaders Wednesday by voting down House Resolution 1162 -- a proposed change to the state constitution that would have allowed the Georgia General Assembly to create new charter schools -- House lawmakers voted Thursday to allow the resolution's sponsor, Republican Jan Jones, to call another vote.

That vote has not yet been scheduled.

"The ruling at the capitol last Wednesday was disappointing," said Dr. Terry Stollar, principal at Coweta Charter Academy in Senoia. "But the stakeholders of Coweta Charter Academy are very active promoting charter schools as a viable alternative to the traditional educational model. Competition is healthy and can only make the educational systems stronger."

Coweta Charter Academy was approved by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission, which was struck down by the Georgia Supreme Court last May. The 4-3 ruling was a victory for local school systems, which retained control of charter school establishment.

CCA kept its doors open for the 2011-12 after the Georgia Board of Education granted it state charter status for the year -- effectively leapfrogging the local Coweta County Board of Education, which had refused to grant a new charter following the court ruling.

Should a second vote on the proposed constitutional change prove successful, local districts would again lose their authority to refuse charters.

Coweta Schools Superintendent Steve Barker notes that Coweta County has proved traditional public and charter schools can provide expanded educational opportunities.

"We have embraced the charter school model with Central Educational Center and the eighth grade component we're working toward," Barker said, citing the system's partnership with an existing charter school. "Charter petitions can be brought before the local board, and we feel like CEC adds something that the district is not providing otherwise."

Throughout Georgia, school superintendents and local school boards have fought against House Resolution 1162, not because they necessarily object to charter schools, but because of financial reasons. Opponents say supporters of the constitutional change never explained how new charter schools would be funded and that adding more charter schools could mean less funding for existing public school systems.

Opponents of the resolution see the authority to grant or refuse charters according to whether a charter school provides something the traditional system can't provide is the best way to control those funds, according to the local board's responsibility to taxpayers.

"Our issue with this particular topic has more to do with the state being able to access local tax dollars through its approval process," said Barker. "The local board of education is elected to set policy and oversee that policy and the budget of the local district, and it's a definite concern when the local board does not feel that a charter warrants approval in that local district and the state is in the position to grant that charter anyway."

Odyssey School is also located in Coweta, and Principal Andy Geeter says accountability to the local system is built into the charter school model.

"If (an elementary school's) third-graders all fail a standardized test, what happens to that school?" said Geeter. "If that happens at Odyssey, we get shut down. That's the ultimate accountability."

Odyssey holds a state charter and is host to Georgia's Cyber Academy. A successful constitutional change would affect Odyssey's funding and oversight.

"This resolution reinstates an independent authorizer for charter schools," Geeter said. "There are counties and school districts that do a very good job with charters, and even those who don't necessarily support charters can do a good job vetting through the charter process. But for those districts where they don't have the personnel to handle it -- or those that fear charter schools in general -- this will create opportunities going forward."

Local control of tax dollars is particularly crucial as House lawmakers prepare for a second vote on House Resolution 1162. Coweta schools and schools in other Georgia districts stand to lose millions in state funding next year through redistribution of equalization funds.

"The question is," said Barker, "should the state be able to approve a charter, which carries with it ability to access tax dollars set aside for education in that community, without that community's consent."

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