Schools

Charter Academy Faces Shortfall

The Cherokee Charter Academy Governance Council met on Wednesday.

Lower than expected enrollment and lack of available funding have contributed to a $1.3 million budget shortfall at the county's first charter school.

That revelation came to light during a Wednesday evening meeting of the Governance Council, according to a report in today's Cherokee Tribune.

Though 995 students were selected to be part of the school's inaugural class during a May lottery, only 700 enrolled during .

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With , no one knew if the school would open.

A that approved Cherokee Charter Academy and 15 other state-commissioned charter schools. The school turned to the  for approval, but members  on June 24. The . However, the school didn't have $2.9 million in local funding it would have received as a district-approved or state-commissioned charter school. State-chartered special schools, the designation the state BOE gave to Cherokee Charter Academy and eight other , weren't eligible for it. They had to find alternate funding sources.

Find out what's happening in Woodstock-Towne Lakewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It wasn't until .

Erin Hames, Gov. Nathan Deal's deputy chief of staff of policy, told Canton-Sixes Patch that the school received for this school year.

Although Cherokee Charter Academy received money from the state to open its doors this year, Hames said the school will need to come up with its own funding in the future.

If approved,  and the Senate's Education and Youth Special Sub-Committee would allow Georgians to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to restore the state's power to approve charter schools.

Where do public officials stand on the proposed charter school amendment?

  •  to a column from  (D-Atlanta), who said he supports charters, but "will never support decimating public schools nor taxing our citizens without representation."
  •  (R-Milton) prepared a document of frequently asked questions on the topic.


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