Board Denies Charter School Application (GA)

June 21, 2010

For the second time in as many years, the Cherokee County school board has denied a request to open a charter school in the district.

The board voted in lockstep to deny a request by the Georgia Charter Educational Foundation to open a charter school in the Holly Springs area in time for the upcoming school year.

The company filed the petition on behalf of Charter Schools USA, a Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based company.

About 30 supporters, some of whom brought their children, attended the me eting to show their support for the petition.

County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo, board members and school board Attorney Tom Roach all criticized the petition as leaving too many unanswered questions. The petition, they said, also didn’t garner enough public support to gain their approval.

"There are far more governance issues and accountability issues that make us extremely uncomfortable," Petruzielo said.

The superintendent said the petition raised concerns about how the company would provide adequate services for students with special needs as well as central office services.

Roach said he had issues with the relationship the charter school and its local governing board would have with the district.

The attorney said the petition implied most of the central office services, such as special education, would be provided by the district, but no such agreement has been hammered out.

Petruzielo and Roach also criticized the petitioner for not agreeing to submit an audit of the proposed school’s finances and having the school board approve its budget.

The petition is the second one filed by the foundation on behalf of Charter Schools USA. The petition filed last year also was unanimously denied by the school board.

The board cited concerns with the company’s education services for students with disabilities, English language learners, the broad definition of character education in the curriculum and lack of specifics in regards to how its curriculum would differ from the school district.

Charter school companies, if denied by a local school board, c an apply to the Georgia Charter Schools Commission for approval. The company appealed the board’s decision on its initial petition to the commission, but it denied the request in December.

School board member Mike Chapman of Canton said he’s still confused about what the proposed charter school would offer that was different than what the district already offers.

Chapman, along with school board Chairwoman Debi Radcliff of Towne Lake, noted the proposal touted its character education as unique to Georgia, but that’s untrue, as it’s required by state law.

"Nothing stuck out to me as a wow," Mrs. Radcliff said.

Chapman also criticized the foundation for not reaching out to or meeting with board members and district staff.

He said he initially was excited when he learned the company had filed a new petition because he thought the district would get a "premier" proposal.

Chapman said he still is holding out hope for a stronger proposal for a charter school.

"I want to see a charter school, and I hope to see it down the road," he said.

Board member Janet Read of Towne Lake said she also felt the application was weak. During the meeting, she asked if the petitioner was allowed to change its application before appealing to the state commission.

Roach said petitioners can do so, adding that is what the company did last year. He said last year’s petition was in better shape when it was presented to the state commission than when the school board considered it.

"We should have had the better application," Mrs. Read responded.

Mrs. Radcliff added she wasn’t comfortable with what she saw as a lack of transparency between the petitioner and the district.

She noted that on many of the Charter Schools USA’s websites there was no information on how to contact faculty, staff or principals. There also was not much personalization on the sites.

"I find that peculiar," she said.

She said she took the liberty of calling different board members with charter schools in their district.

She said both board members she talked with labeled the schools as "high maintenance," and they needed a lot of support and help to the point they strained local resources.

Board member Stephen Bentley of Canton was up front with his critique of the petition, noting there weren’t many supporters present.

"I see a majority of people who don’t have an interest in this school," he said. "I don’t feel it. People could care less about charter schools."

Bentley added the board is not elected to serve a minority of people who want a charter school.

Sandy Castro, the state coordinator for operations for Charter Schools USA, said she was frustrated with the ruling.

"They have no interest," she said of the board, adding she wasn’t surprised by the decision.

Mrs. Castro contended that all of the district’s concerns had been addressed in the petition, and they misrepresented what was in the petition.
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She said she’s "certain" the foundation will send its petition to the state commission for consideration, but did not have a timeline.

Quentin Thomas of Woodstock, who does not have children in district schools, attended the meeting to show his support for the proposal even though he expected it to be turned down.

The audience, he said, was treated to a "standard tongue lashing" and heard a "great deal of misinformation."

Thomas said charter schools would bring competition to the district, and would produce quality students with less money.

Conrad Quagliaroli of Woodstock, whose 15-year-old twins are enrolled in a district school, said he attended the meeting to support the proposal because "competition is best for all industries."

A charter school, he said, would benefit the entire community.

"A charter school would make them do even a better job," he said of traditional public schools.