Oakland Academy Charter School (OACS) recently received good news. The Walton Family Foundation approved a “Pre-Authorization Startup Grant” for Oakland last week. According to an email Friday, the $30,000 Grant will be payable within 14 days of the receipt of a copy of the OACS contract/letter acknowledging acceptance terms and conditions specified by the WFF (Walton Family Foundation).” WFF is a philanthropic organization focusing on systemic K-12 education reform, fresh water and marine conservation, and quality of life initiatives in its home region.

Funding for Oakland was the major concern for the Gilmer BOE in its recent denial of the charter. Finalized in an April 4th letter from Gilmer Superintendent Bryan Dorsey on behalf of the board, the decision followed a pugnacious public meeting held in January with the BOE and Oakland’s Board of Trustees. During the meeting the main concern of the BOE was funding. Dorsey and other board members, belabored that the county would not be able to help fund another school in the district. Further, this concern was underscored in the April 4th Denial Letter, where Dorsey cited that the 2011 Tax Digest in Gilmer County dropped 13 percent. The superintendent also mentioned in the letter that the $2.6 million austerity cuts from the state had to be absorbed by taxpayers, further straining the budget.

For their part, the Oakland trustees said only partial funding would come from the Gilmer District. Founding Trustee Board Member and Chairman Isaac Lassiter said that other sources of funding were available. The WFF grant corroborates Lassiter’s assertion.

In the face of the BOE’s opposition to Oakland’s Charter, OACS may have voters and the state on its side. In April, legislature passed HR 1162, allowing voters to decide whether or not to change Georgia’s Constitution giving the state authority to approve charters, circumventing the authority of local BOEs. Earlier this month, HB 797 was also passed, a counterpart to 1162. This counterpart bill anticipates the passage of 1162 by establishing a funding mechanism.

Stephanie Mayfield from Governor Nathan Deal’s office explained,

“Students in state charter schools will earn QBE (which varies for all Georgia students according to whether he or she qualifies for extra funding for special and gifted education); grants such as transportation and nutrition, only if offered and earned; an increment to make up for the lack of local funding and tied to the lowest 5 property tax wealth school systems in the state; an increment to make up for the lack of local funding to pay for facility leases and tied to the state facilities average.-No charter school students, locally approved or state approved, in Georgia earn central office funding (superintendent, school board and central office staff) per this legislation and current law. -A “bricks and mortar” state charter high school student without special needs will earn $6400. The same Atlanta Public School student would earn almost $15,000, including state, local, federal, and SPLOST funding. The same Sumter County student would earn about $9000.”

Mayfield also said that the funding will come from the state’s general fund.