Stephens County Schools Adopt Charter School System

By Charlie Bauder, WNEG Radio, Toccoa

The Stephens County School System will become Georgia’s 30th Charter School System.

In a statement released Thursday, Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle congratulated the Stephens County School System on its successful charter school system application to the state.

Stephens County School System officials made their presentation recently to the State Board of Education seeking charter system approval.

School Superintendent Bryan Dorsey said moving forward on the charter system is excellent news.

“We are excited about becoming a charter school system and involving our community more in the governance at the school level and that shared governance with our local (school) board and we are excited about the opportunities our students are going to have, meshing and forging more into the community and the community more into our schools,” said Dorsey.

In a charter school system, a local Board of Education reaches a contract with the state Board of Education regarding the operation of the school system.

In that contract, a local school board can request to do things differently that normal state rules may allow in various categories.

However, the state in return sets certain requirements and benchmarks for performance that the school system must meet.

Supporters said a charter system set-up allows a school system greater flexibility to meet the needs of both students and the community.   Charter systems were first created in law in 2007 in Georgia.

50th District State Senator John Wilkinson also congratulated the school system, stating that he is happy to see that Stephens County is becoming a charter school system.

The Stephens County school system expects to implement the charter system plan beginning in the upcoming school year.