JONESBORO — At a work session Monday, April 29, the Clayton County Board of Education unanimously rejected Movement Schools Atlanta's petition to open a charter school in 2025-26.
The petitioners were seeking to open a kindergarten through fifth grade school that would enroll 624 students.
“The petition is flawed and lacks specificity, and the minimum requirements outlined by the state of Georgia to help judges determine whether the petitioner can operate a school that is viable and in the interest of Clayton County.” ” information listed on the April 29 agenda.
The information from the school board also addresses the following issues regarding the petition:
— Inappropriate recruitment and retention planning.
“The petition does not make clear that any substantive efforts will be made to recruit and retain students,” the information from the school board says. “This is particularly concerning as Movement School stated in capacity interviews that fewer than 100 families had expressed interest in the school.”
— Discrepancies between budget and enrollment projections.
Information in the April 29 agenda packet states that there is an “apparent discrepancy between the projected enrollment numbers listed in the petition and the proposed budget in the Excel spreadsheet.”
— Incomplete budget assumptions.
Information in the April 29 agenda packet states, “The proposed budget does not contain important explanations or assumptions and appears to lack reasonable expenses to effectively operate the school. '' is written.
— Poor planning for diverse learning needs.
“The renewal petition lacks a comprehensive plan to meet the needs of all learners, including students who are struggling academically, English language learners, students with disabilities, and students who require academic intervention. ”, the minutes of the meeting states.
— Identify facilities with potential for growth.
Information in the agenda packet states that there is no adequate plan to cover facility costs if enrollment goals are not met.
The petition does not explain how the program is innovative and how the proposal is consistent with what the county needs or wants, according to information in the agenda packet. It is stated.
The school board is also scheduled to vote on a petition from Wright Community Schools to open a charter school in the 2025-26 school year at its May 28 work session.
The recommendation to the school board was to deny the petition.
The school serves grades 6 through 12 and has 600 students.
On October 30, 2023, the Board of Education denied a charter renewal for 7 Pillars Academy.
On March 20, the Georgia Charter School Board sent a letter to 7 Pillars stating that the school's petition does not meet SCSC's eligibility requirements for petition review and has significant deficiencies and cannot be considered for approval. I sent it to the leadership department.
In a letter sent to Seven Pillars parents on April 11, CCPS announced that the school would close on June 30.
Parents have been informed that they must decide on alternative school options for their children for the 2004-2025 school year.
The school system also said in the letter that it will help teachers find new jobs within the district for the upcoming school year.
According to information from the Oct. 30 school board meeting, the original petition addressed several concerns, including financial goals and performance, academic performance, school governance, organizational planning, and community support and needs. Ta.
The amended petition cited inadequate recruitment and retention plans, budget deficits and debt, discrepancies in budget and enrollment projections, incomplete budget assumptions, inadequate planning for diverse learning needs, and expectations. There remained areas of concern, including the lack of clear facilities for growth. , according to information from the October 30 meeting.
“These weaknesses significantly impair the Board's ability to ensure the effective operation and financial sustainability of charter schools within Clayton County Public Schools,” the Oct. 30 meeting minutes read. It's dark.
