Georgia's State Charter Schools Commission has authorized four new charter schools to open in the Atlanta area.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the schools—two in Atlanta, one in DeKalb County and one in Gwinnett County—are set to open in 2019 or later.
The charter commission was established in 2012 to authorize schools that either have a statewide attendance zone or “special characteristics.” Special can mean the population served, the curriculum or “features which enhance educational opportunities.”
Of the four newly approved schools, only Yi Hwang Academy, a K-5 Korean-English immersion school in Gwinnett County, will accept students across the state.
The other three schools had to describe what makes them special.
Ethos Classical Charter School recently re-applied with Atlanta Public Schools after the school board rejected an application last year. But Atlanta did not schedule a vote, so Ethos went to the state. The state application says Ethos will use a curriculum based on the classics, “conceptual and procedural math” and the arts, with two teachers per classroom. The K-5 school will open in fall 2019 in southwest Atlanta, and take students from the city and from all of Fulton County.
Harriet Tubman School of Science and Tech in west Atlanta will serve K-5 students in Atlanta, with an online component. The school’s petition says it’s unique because it uses “a data-driven model” with “real-time” analysis.
DeKalb County will get a design school next year serving county residents: The Community Academy for Architecture and Design will start with elementary school, expanding over time to include middle school. The school says it will partner with south DeKalb communities to develop “thriving children” and “sustainable neighborhoods,” using architecture and design “as a conduit for inter-generational transformation.”
