UPDATE: Imagine Mableton's Charter Renewal Petition Rejected with 4-3 Vote

The music was queued on a CD player and the chorus from Imagine was prepared to sing after the Cobb Board of Education cast its vote on renewal of the school’s charter. With a 4-3 vote, the board members rejected the school’s petition for a two-year charter renewal, and the children still sang.

"I am Imagine, and yes, I believe," they sang.

They sang with tears in their eyes. They sang holding each other. They sang while their teachers and parents told them that they were going to fight and appeal the board’s decision.

IIAM students, parents and staff had been fighting for the school making passionate pleas to the board during public comment portion before board meetings, sending emails and letters to the board members, and

Approximately 100 IIAM supporters, including several of the school’s 620 students, packed the meeting room Thursday night, clad in blue t-shirts that read, “I Choose Mableton.” Seven people spoke during public comment in support of the school’s charter renewal.

However, some of the board members said it was all too little too late. 

“Your passion’s great at charter school, but we have to see your commitment for the length of it,” said school board Chairwoman Alison Bartlett.

Morgan said at the meeting as he had reiterated several times in the weeks before that it was imperative that he judge the schools based on their performance and achievement of the goals laid out in their charters. He also announced at the Sept. 15 town hall meeting at the Mableton school that he would not vote to renew the charters of IIAM and International Academy of Smyrna.

“I want to publicly say that my position, in terms of not believing that we should grant the renewal, is based on a lot of deliberative thought and research to make sure that the position that I have is that well-founded and well-documented. In no way shape or form do I think that represents the passion and the funds that so many people here have,” Morgan said before Thursday’s vote.

Board member Lynnda Crowder-Eagle said the school “could go back and regroup…It does concern me that right before the charter’s up for renewal, there’s a big interest. I would like to have had a bit more ongoing and to see a stronger board and community involvement, not the parents that are involved. I know you are. I know you care. If it’s strong enough and you care enough, you’ll come back for it and you’ll ask for it again.”

Mableton and Smyrna board member Tim Stultz, David Banks and Kathleen Angelucci cast the dissenting votes, remarking that parent choice is important.

“I have a problem, as a board member and really as part of the state, dictating to parents their choice. This school has been in existence for four years as part of the community. It has established itself. We’ve got 600 students in a school. That means it’s offering something,” said Banks before the vote.

“These parents had an issue. They found an answer to their issue, and I don’t think, as a board member, I should overrule the choice of a parent,” Banks continued.

Angelucci and Stultz, both acknowledging the school has problems to be addressed, echoed Banks’ sentiments, with Stultz presenting the comparison of the school to a business and as an “open market solution.”

“If you look at them as a business, if they make those changes, then they have that opportunity to succeed. If not, then the market will dictate that they won’t succeed,” Stultz said before voting to approve the charter.

After all three of the board members supporting the charter spoke, school board Vice Chairman Scott Sweeney said, “Choice always must be balanced with responsibility.” He expressed concerns about the school’s financial viability, that the school would be operating in a deficit and that it has unfilled seats on its governing board.

Cobb County School District Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa recommended rejection of the school’s charter renewal at its Sept. 14 work session because of the financial and leadership challenges the school has faced in its five-year history. Before an extension was approved in June, then-Superintendent Fred Sanderson had recommended rejection of Imagine Mableton and of three other charter renewals, including STEAM Academy of Cobb, which withdrew its charter petition before the Thursday meeting.

International Academy of Smyrna was the only charter school of the four on Thursday’s agenda to be approved by the board on Thursday night. Morgan was the one board member who voted to reject the school’s charter.

Hinojosa made a point to explain that the board had financial reservations about the school, but felt the school had made strides to create a fund balance and turn its financial situation around.

Please check back with South Cobb Patch for the full video.