Past, Present and Future: Gilmer County Charter School Effort Holds Onto Hope

ELLIJAY, GA. — Two short months ago, hope seemed all but lost for eight new charter schools trying to open in Georgia. In May, the Supreme Court handed down a ruling that gave public school districts the ability to block or approve the application process for a charter school. This week, Governor Nathan Deal reworked the playing field just a bit. The Governor signed off on a financial rescue package that allocates $10 million in funding for eight charter schools in Georgia. The action could breathe new life into an effort to create a public charter school in Gilmer County.

The movement to build the charter school in East Ellijay came out of a dilemma facing so many districts across the country right now. The county was forced to restructure the school system due to a steadily declining tax base and a budget that’s eroded almost 30 percent from what it was two short years ago. Oakland Elementary ended up as a fatality of the crisis. The county opted to shut it down. A group of parents decided they’d rather support an area charter school than send their children to school somewhere else in the county. Thus, the idea for Oakland Academy was born. A founding board was established and members said they wanted to open the school within a year.

The Oakland Academy Founding Board filed a “letter of intent” and a “waiver of request” with the county Board of Education, but were denied. The timing couldn’t have been worse. The new Supreme Court ruling now blocked Oakland from applying for state funding and the board had little choice but to postpone opening day to August of 2013.

“The primary effects that the ruling has for Oakland Academy is to disallow us the opportunity to open as a charter school serving 5 counties in August 2012 and it eliminates the opportunity to appeal to the state Charter School Commission if we are denied by the Gilmer BOE (Board of Education) based on the current ruling.”

-Isaac Lassiter
Oakland Founding Board Chairman

However, with Governor Deal’s funds pledge last Thursday, all this may change. According to the announcement, these funds will be allocated to charter schools affected by last May’s Supreme Court Decision. Oakland Academy Charter School falls into this category. Also, Charter School advocates plan to push for a constitutional amendment this winter that will overrule the Court’s decision. Although, Oakland Academy is working through its financial challenges and is scheduled to open for the 2013-14 school year, Deal’s announcement last Thursday may pave the way for more charter schools in Gilmer and its surrounding counties.
FYN will follow this story as it develops.

The eight schools to receive the Governor’s special funding are Atlanta Heights Charter in Atlanta, Charter Conservatory for Liberal Arts and Technology in Statesboro, Cherokee Charter Academy in Canton, Coweta Charter Academy in Senoia, Fulton Leadership Academy in south Fulton County, Heritage Preparatory Academy in Atlanta, Odyssey School in Newnan and Pataula Charter Academy in Edison.

The funds are meant as an infusion of funds, to jump-start the schools. Spokesman for the Georgia Association of Charter Schools said the announcement was “a sigh of relief for the schools, but it by no means addresses the long term.”