Despite initial pessimism from some charter school advocates, both the Cherokee and Gwinnett boards of education appear open to two charter schools whose futures were jeopardized by a recent Georgia Supreme Court decision.
The high court ruled that a state commission created by the Legislature in 2008 could not approve charter schools over the objections of the local boards. The commission had approved 16 such schools, most of which now must be legitimatized by their local boards to continue to operate. (There are also statewide virtual schools in the mix, and their fate remains unclear.)
The charter schools and the state are asking the state Supreme Court to reconsider its 4-3 vote, but legal experts say that is unlikely. In any case, the affected charters are not taking any chances and are pleading their cases to their local boards.
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