Today, hundreds of charter school students, their families, teachers, school leaders and advocates will gather at the Georgia Capitol to advocate for expanded access to high-quality public school options across the state. They will urge lawmakers to pass Senate Bill 82, which encourages and incentivizes local districts to approve more charter schools.
By law, charter schools are tuition-free and open to all students regardless of ZIP code, race, ethnicity, income or ability level. They are also accountable to local and state academic, financial and operational standards. These unique public schools benefit children and communities because they provide more options to students within the public school system, improve graduation rates and successfully prepare children for college and career opportunities. In fact, the demand for these public schools is so high throughout the state, significant charter school expansion is needed to accommodate all the students who want to attend.
New data released by the State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia shows that more than 21,000 students currently appear on charter school “waitlists.” Additionally, a 2023 poll commissioned by the Georgia Charter Schools Association found that 69% of Georgia voters — across political parties — view charter schools favorably and nearly 60% support their expansion.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
Despite this widespread support, local school districts are not approving charter school applications. In the past five years, only one charter school was approved by a local school district in Georgia. By contrast, the State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia — a state level agency with the authority to approve charter schools — approved over 30 new charter applications over the last five years (most of which were initially denied approval by the local school district). Among the state-authorized charter schools, 85% outperformed surrounding area schools in academic mastery or growth on the SCSC’s most recent analysis of the Georgia Milestones Assessments. This begs the question: why were these petitions denied locally in the first place?
In short: the responsibility for increasing access to charter schools in Georgia now rests almost exclusively to the state. This trend makes Georgia an outlier — and not in a positive way.
- Nationally, 90% of charter schools are authorized by local boards of education, and only 10% are approved by state-level authorizers. In Georgia, however, less than half of existing charter schools were approved locally.
- Of the nation’s 10 most populous states, Georgia ranks dead last in charter school access. The average number of charter schools per person in the other nine most populous states is one charter school for every 55,000 residents. In Georgia, the ratio is one charter school for every 101,643 residents. In other words, Georgia could double the number of charter schools and still not provide “average” access to charter schools as compared to other similarly populated states.
- Nationally, 7% of all K-12 students attend charter schools compared to only 3.5% of K-12 students in Georgia.
Despite the success of Georgia’s charter school sector and the incredible demand for additional charter school seats, several districts, including Atlanta Public Schools, have rejected recent charter petitions that would provide unique educational opportunities to students. Tapestry Public Charter School in DeKalb County serves as a prime example. The school offers an inclusive, individualized learning environment where more than half its 300 students are identified as having special needs. For years, Tapestry sought to expand its successful model into APS. In both 2023 and 2024, the school applied for approval. In 2023, a district-assembled review panel unanimously recommended approval, but the APS Board of Education ignored the recommendation and denied the petition. Last year, despite submitting a petition with 700 students interested in filling 300 potential seats, Tapestry faced the same rejection.
Similarly, the Muscogee County Board of Education unanimously rejected a petition for Dominion Purpose Academy in August 2024 because the district was worried about the challenges of district oversight. The decision came despite local support for the school and concerns raised by families regarding the district’s performance on Georgia Milestones assessments. During the meeting, the only board member who spoke appeared unfamiliar with basic charter school facts. Prior to the vote, the district superintendent told the petitioning school that even if the school wasn’t approved by the board, “there is recourse” and they could still gain approval through the state.
These instances highlight a troubling truth — Georgia families are being denied access to charter schools all across Georgia. SB 82 represents an important first step in addressing this critical issue by encouraging district partners to end the yearslong, self-imposed moratorium on local charter authorizations. Without intervention and incentives at the local district level, charter school waitlists will grow even longer.
Until every child has the chance to attend a high-quality public school that works for them, we need more educational options. It’s time for lawmakers to listen to the families, support their right to choose the best educational fit for their children and ensure every student has access to a strong public education.
Bonnie Holliday is the president and chief executive officer of the Georgia Charter Schools Association.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
