Controversial Amendment Could Make It Easier To Create New Charter Schools

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Charter schools provide different choices for your students’ education, but there are several hoops you have to jump through to start one. A controversial constitutional amendment on the ballot in November could make it easier to create new charter schools.

House Resolution 1162 is asking voters if they want to re-establish the Georgia Charter Schools Commission. It is a state agency that can approve charter school applications, but was ruled unconstitutional by the Georgia Supreme Court last year.

“This amendment is about offering more public school options to parents and children across Georgia,” Mark Peevy, former executive director for the GCSC said. “It gives more power to parents and community members to be able to formulate the kinds of educational choices they want in their own community.”

Currently, charter school applicants apply through their local board of education. The local BOE can approve or deny the request. If it is denied, the applicant can appeal to the State Board of Education. Opponents say this amendment is offering more choices. Instead, it is creating a bigger government.

“We already have two agencies in the state that can authorize charter schools,” Dr. John Barge, State School Superintendent said. “I don’t see the need in a third duplicative agency to do what two others can already do.”

Dr. Barge is also concerned about funding.

“Each student that attends those schools is going to be receiving twice the amount of state tax dollars than a traditional public school student,” he said. “If they approve seven schools a year for the next five years, because a charter is good for five years, it’s going to cost the state about 450 million dollars in new revenue.”

Proponents argue these schools will actually save tax payer’s money because the only funding they will get is from the state.

“It specifically does not allow for any local dollars to go to these schools,” Peevy said. “It creates a funding formula that would fund these state authorized schools at approximately two-thirds the level of the traditional public school in Georgia. These schools will operate on less overall tax payer dollars.”

Dr. Barge says he is all for creating new charter schools. He wants to keep the power to authorize new charters in the local school districts and not in a new state agency. His opponents argue the state needs this alternative authorizer to act as a relief valve for those who are trying to bring charter schools to their community.