A petition to start Cherokee County's first charter school is before the Georgia Charter Schools Commission for review, and a decision is likely before the end of the year.
"We are expecting a school. We are hoping for a school," said Lyn Carden, one of the interested parents.
The school would emphasize character education and require a certain number of hours of parental involvement, and each student would have an individualized learning plan and wear a uniform.
The petition will be reviewed and possibly voted on Dec. 16, said Mark Peevy, the executive director of the commission.
Carden said parents hope to have the school open next fall.
"We expect the process to go fairly easy. We have a really good petition," she said. "I am looking forward to this step and getting an educated and fair ear."
The Cherokee County School Board turned down petitions to start a charter school three times, most recently in June, citing shortcomings such as inadequate information about how students with special needs would be transported and taught and how central office services would be handled.
Charter schools are public schools started by parents or a school district that create their own educational programs, are free and open to all students and are held to high performance standards to maintain their charters.
If they are started by parents and approved by the local school board, they receive local, federal and state funds and the local board maintains some controls. If they are rejected by the local school board, parents can apply to the state commission. If it approves the petition, the school receives state and federal funds plus a matching share of local school tax dollars, and the local board loses control or input into the school.
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