Franklin BOE to Hear Presentation on Royston Charter School Effort

A group working to bring an independent charter elementary school to Royston will be making a presentation to the Franklin County Board of Education next month.

The Board of Education will have their regular monthly meeting on December 12 at 6p at the Board of Education offices in Carnesville.

Wesley Fricks is heading up the effort to keep an elementary school in the City of Royston by creating a charter school independent of the Franklin Co Charter School System.

On November 2, representatives from the State Charter School Commission of Georgia spoke to a group of about 25 people in Royston about the benefits of a charter elementary school and the positive impact it can have on students and the community.

Fricks said there are still many people in the town who are unhappy about the Franklin County School system moving Royston Elementary School students to the new South Franklin Elementary School currently under construction in Carnesville.

Fricks said as a charter school, it would not be under the Franklin County Charter School system but would operate as an LEA or Local Education Agency and would be funded by State and Federal monies already designated for the establishment of Charter schools in Georgia.

Another advantage he said is that students living in Hart or surrounding counties would be able to attend the charter school.

At the meeting on November 2, Donovan Head, Executive Director of the State Charter School Commission of Georgia pointed out that a charter school is a public school but with more options such as curriculum and learning techniques but students would still be required to take the state-mandated Milestone tests.

Fricks says the next step for the push for a charter elementary school is to form a founding team” that would spearhead setting up a non-profit organization to help build a charter petition.