Local Districts Must Pay Charter Schools

A new state commission has ruled that two Georgia charter schools should get funding from their local school districts despite being denied money in the past. The decision means the schools will get a windfall of thousands more in funding. But, it could spark lawsuits from the Gwinnett County and Bulloch County school districts, which are being forced to hand over the money. A new law allows the state's Charter Schools Commission to require local funding for charter schools, even if they've been turned down before.

School Board Approves Class Size Increase

The state's public schools can add more students to their classes under a measure passed by the state school board today. The board unanimously passed a temporary one-year boost to the state-mandated class size limit. The move is designed to help Georgia's 180 school districts save up to $200-million on the cost for hiring new teachers, given declining state funding.

The statewide waiver will add two students to most classes up through eighth grade for the 2009-10 school year. It does not apply to special education, English as a second language, fine arts and foreign language classrooms. The number of students in core high school classes will not change--remaining at 32 students.

The school Board today also approved Gwinnett County as the first district in Georgia to take advantage of "flexibility contracts". The move allows the largest district in Georgia to operate free of most state education laws and implement new methods for improving student achievement.

State grants charter status to three districts

Three of four school districts being considered for charter school status were approved Thursday by the state Board of Education. Decatur, Marietta, and Gainesville city schools become the first of Georgia’s "charter" systems. Chattahoochee County was denied charter status by unanimous vote. The three approved districts join Warren County this fall in going "charter". The new status allows the districts to operate relatively free of state control. The schools however, must show progress or face danger of losing such status.

State education officials consider charter applications

The state’s Board of Education meets today to discuss whether to grant charter school status to four Georgia school districts. The Board is considering applications from Decatur city, Chattahoochee County, Gainesville city and Marietta city school districts. The full Board will vote on the issue tomorrow.

Tuesday roundup of bills signed by Perdue

Several bills were signed into law by Governor Perdue on Tuesday.

-Legislation approved into law that gives consumers greater protection over their credit information. Consumers for a fee can ‘freeze’ access to their information.

-Approved is a bill that creates a special fund and speeds the process for the approval of reservoirs in the state.

-Three other bills approved deal with education—-all pave a smoother path for the creation of charter schools in Georgia.

-Perdue signed into law Tuesday a measure that reworks an earlier version of the sex offenders residency law that was struck down by the state’s Supreme Court. It brings back many restrictions to fix a 2006 law that bans sex offenders from living, working or loitering within one-thousand feet of nearly anywhere children gather.

-Despite his opposition to Sunday sales of alcohol in the state, the Governor Tuesday did sign a bill that allows for beer to be sold at Gwinnett County’s new baseball stadium on Sundays next year. In addition, Perdue signed the bill to allow Georgians to buy wine over the Internet.

House OK's charter school panel

State lawmakers have opened the door for more charter schools in Georgia. House members yesterday voted to create a seven-member state commission that could begin the sanctioning of new tuition-free schools as early as next year. The measure now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Supporters say this is another way for the schools to be established which are denied by some school boards. Critics argue this is a way to skirt the authority of local school boards, which would still have to help fund the schools.

Charter schools are funded by tax dollars--they often allow teachers and principals more flexibility because their operation comes from a charter drafted by a community.