School panel to hold APS hearing

The State Board of Education holds a one-day hearing Tuesday to determine whether APS school board members should be replaced by Gov. Nathan Deal.

The procedure was set up by the State Legislature's passage of SB 79, sponsored in the House by Buckhead Rep. Ed Lindsey. The legislation was passed in reaction to the APS being placed on accreditation probation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Lindsey called it a safety-net measure to ensure that the APS was making sufficient progress in meeting six conditions laid out by SACS and its parent organization, AdvancED, to retain accreditation.

Lindsey told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an article published over the weekend that he feels the APS school board is making progress in its accreditation efforts.

State Sen. Vincent Fort, who represents Buckhead, told the newspaper that he would consider a lawsuit if Deal removes the current board members, including Buckhead's Nancy Meister, and appoints new members.