Georgia to allow charter schools to use empty district buildings
A bill just passed by Georgia’s state legislature has perked the ears of Missouri charter school advocates, frustrated with a St. Louis Public School decision to bar charters from buying district buildings.
HB555 passed the Georgia senate, 49 to 1, yesterday. According to a story in The Weekly, if the bill is signed by the governor, it will force the state’s public school districts to give charter schools the use of empty buildings.
“It is a victory for charter schools, which now will be able to use - at no cost - school buildings not being used by local districts,” said Tony Roberts, CEO of the Georgia Charter Schools Association, in a statement.
“Funds in charter school budgets that had to be set aside previously to pay lease arrangements back to local school districts, can now be channeled towards other areas of need at the charter school.”
Good for Georgia to make the right choice!
Now, we need St. Louis to do the same as well. Why shouldn’t those schools be able to be purchased by charter schools? Do people want them to sit empty and become rundown? We, the taxpayers, paid for those buildings and we, the taxpayers want schools!
Charter schools offer many benefits to the children and they should not be kept away.
So when will Missouri start to get the message that charter schools are a solutuion to urban education. Take a look at the Top Ten Most Improved Schools in Missouri from the 2008 MAP scores; Kansas City charter schools are well represented. In St. Louis the only schools gaining recognition are the magnet schools. This article along with many other provided by the National Public Charter School Association report daily on the success, and yes, failures of charter schools across the country. The problem in St. Louis is the current charter schools authorizers have not closed poor performing schools, as mandated.( See January article on one particular school)This failure of certain authorizers puts a negative cloud over future expansion.
Let’s hope the current legislation concerning many charter school issues passes this session.