State Recommends Denying Smyrna Academy of Excellence’s Charter

Smyrna Academy of Excellence officials received verbal confirmation that the Georgia Charter School Committee would recommend that the State Board of Education deny their petition to become a state chartered special school.

“Our next step is a private school,” said LeAnn Boucher, a Smyrna Academy of Excellence volunteer. “They’ve gotten the ‘no’ recommendation that the Charter Committee is going to give the State Board of Education we’re going to move forward with a private school that will open in the 2013-2014 school year.”

She said that school officials wouldn’t know why the committee recommended denying their petition until they receive a written recommendation. citing the school’s perceived financial limitations.

Immediately after the meeting . These plans were put on hold when the board learned that it could attempt to apply for a special state charter. Now that their petition has been denied, Boucher said officials have returned to their plan to open a private school.

“We’ll be an affordable private school open in the 2013-2014 school year,” she said. “Being an affordable private school, it’s going to be accessible to more people and still provide those educational options within our south Cobb community.”

Boucher said school officials should have pre-registration and tuition information ready next week. She added that they might also have more information on the school’s location next week. So far, the board has not revealed the locations they are considering for the school because they say it complicates negotiations. However, they did confirm that they are looking at retail spaces along East West Connector that could be converted into a school. 

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