Video:BOE Denies Charter Second Time, Charter Looks to Mediation

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Photo from January 26, 2012 Gilmer BOE and OACS Public Hearing

“Approving the charter would harm all students in the District due to the financial consequences of funding an additional school”

The Gilmer County Board of Education denied the Oakland Academy Charter School’s (OACS) petition in a 5-0 decision during its September 26th meeting last week. This is the second rejection of the charter petition in under a year. In February, the BOE also denied OACS’ petition, basing its decision on the financial constraints of the school system and questions regarding the organizational structure outlined in the petition. OACS revised its petition based on the reasons for denial given by the BOE and then resubmitted the petition. This time, though, the board denied the charter for primarily financial reasons.

“Approving the charter would harm all students in the District due to the financial consequences of funding an additional school,”

Superintendent Bryan Dorsey said.

In a statement released following the decision, Lassiter railed against Dorsey’s comments, saying the superintendent did not give any financial specifics to explain the budgetary constraints of the school system. Rather, Lassiter said Dorsey personally attacked Dr. Raiford Cantrell, who spoke on behalf of OACS during the meeting, saying that Cantrell oversaw budget increases during his tenure as Gilmer superintendent.

Last week’s decision is the most recent example obstacle in a series of roadblocks put up by the BOE in OACS’ petition process. Regardless of these roadblocks, though, the school is dauntless in its pursuit of a charter.

On September 4th, OACS sent a letter to State Superintendent Dr. John Barge requesting mediation. The letter was prompted by a recent statement by Barge.

“I am committed to working with all of our school districts,”

he said in a press release,

“to ensure that high quality applicants are not denied locally.”

Responding to OACS’ request and writing on behalf of GDOE, Charter Schools Division Director Louis J. Erste explained the state would intervene only if the revised petition was denied, which it was. Here, Erste also explained the specifics about mediation.

“We would only consider recommending mediation,” he wrote, “if your proposed school demonstrated the capacity to produce strong student academic results, legal and regulatory compliance, and financial sustainability; you had a well-trained and high-functioning governing board; and the reasons given for the District’s denial were inconsistent with the law and rule.”

The deadline for an application to the state has already passed, which would be the next course of action for OACS following mediation. In an email to FYN today, Lassiter said as soon as OACS receives the denial letter from the BOE, it will request mediation with the state again. But, he’ is doubtful OACS will be granted mediation, saying the state has set the bar (requirements for mediation) so artificially high that the state has no intention of intervening.

But, will the situation change in November? A referendum on the November ballot will ask voters to approve a change in the state’s constitution allowing the state authority to approve charters which are otherwise denied by local boards. According to the information in the correspondence between Lassiter and Mr. Erste, the state already has this authority. This authority was also recently highlighted by Fannin County Board of Education Mark Henson during the Fannin board’s September meeting. For Lassiter and OACS, though, these avenues for approval seem inadequate.

In an August article in the Gwinnet Forum, Superintendent Barge stated that, while he supports charter schools, he is publically against the charter school amendment referendum.

“Until all of our public school students are in school for a full 180-day school year,”

he wrote,

“until essential services like student transportation and student support can return to effective levels and until teachers regain jobs with full pay for a full school year, we should not redirect one more dollar away from Georgia’s local school districts—much less $430 million in state funds.”

Barge explained it would cost $430 million per year to fund seven new state charter schools.

Barge’s statement represents one of two main arguments against the charter amendment: funding. Superintendent Dorsey has argued the financial angle during both public meetings. If the state approves and funds new charter schools, state funding will be redirected away from traditional public schools to the new charters, Dorsey says, at a time when state funding is already suffering deep cuts. Gilmer scheduled 10 furlough days this year in an effort to handle some of the recent cuts. Fannin Superintendent Mark Henson argues the same point. In a recent presentation, Henson pointed out that his district will suffer $2.1 million in state cuts this year, in addition to $1 million in health increases and a weak tax digest. The other concern, also voiced by Henson, is local control. If passed, the amendment will further empower the state’s authority and remove the authority of local boards by circumvention.

“This debate also isn’t about charter schools,”

he said,

“It’s about giving up local control, transparency and accountability for our local schools.”

C:Documents and Settingsstation 3.BKP7DesktopMy Videos2012 Gilmer Sept EDU Special Called Meeting 9.26.2012 from Fetch on Vimeo.

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