Smyrna Councilwoman, Advocates Apply for Charter

Sixteen schools have applied for charters through the newly formed State Charter Schools Commission, and one of them is in Cobb.

Cobb Preparatory Academy, whose board members include Smyrna City Councilwoman Melleny C. Pritchett, Smyrna education consultant Leo Smith and organizers of the Cherokee Charter Academy, hopes to open in August 2014 as a K-8 school that serves students statewide, according to documents from the agency.

Wednesday, commissioners will learn about Cobb and the other petitioners at a meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
  
"In the interest of disclosure, we will not be providing an update on the substance of these petitions at next Wednesday’s meeting as we have not yet had time to conduct in-depth reviews," said Bonnie Holliday, the commission's executive director. "Rather, we will update commissioners on who applied and where they plan to locate."

Other applications came from:

• Utopian Academy for the Arts in Clayton County, which hopes to serve Clayton County students in grades 6-8;
• Statesboro STEAM College and Career Academy in Bulloch County, which hopes to open a K-5 school for students statewide;
• Byron Peach Charter High School in Peach County, which hopes to serve Peach County students in grades 9-12;
• Georgia Fugees Academy in DeKalb County, which hopes to open a 6-12 school for students statewide;
• International Charter School of Atlanta in Forsyth County, which hopes to open a K-12 school for students statewide;
• Fulton Science Academy High School in Fulton County, which hopes to open a 9-12 school for students statewide;
• Fulton Sunshine Academy Elementary School in Fulton County, which hopes to open a K-5 school for students statewide.
• Hephzibah Charter Academy in Richmond County, which hopes to serve Richmond County students in grades K-8;
• The Academy for Classical Education in Bibb County, which hopes to serve Bibb County students in grades K-12;
• Sports Leadership and Management (SLAM) Middle School, which hopes to open a 6-8 school in Fulton, DeKalb or Gwinnett County that will serve students across the state.
• St. Augustine Preparatory Academy of Excellence in Bibb County, which hopes to open a 9-12 school for students across the state.
• Nexus Academy of Atlanta, which hopes to serve Atlanta Public Schools students in grades 9-12.
• Cirrus Academy Charter School in Bibb County, which hopes to open a K-12 school that serves students statewide;
• Noble Virtual School of Georgia, which hopes to serve students across the state in grades 3-12; and
• Rivers School for Children STEM Academy, which hopes to serve Dougherty County students in grades K-8.