Georgia vote makes it easier to establish charter schools

From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Voters in Georgia have approved a constitutional amendment that will enable charter schools to be authorized at the state level. The referendum calls for a commission to be formed that will consider applications from charter operators. Local school boards already had the authority to approve charter school applications, and if those applications were rejected by local boards, applicants could have petitioned the state Board of Education.

OCTOBER 2012....from MyFoxAtlanta.com: Five Georgia taxpayers have sued 180 school districts in the state, accusing them of use public funds to defeat the Nov. 6 charter school ballot amendment. The amendment seeks to allow the state to create a board that could then pick private organizations to run charter schools.

EARLIER...

AUGUST 2012....from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia voters will go to the polls in November to decide whether the state constitution should be amended to guarantee the state's power to authorize and fund charter schools. The referendum was placed on the ballot after the Georgia Supreme Court last year stripped the state's Charter Schools Commission of the authority to approve charter schools. The court ruled that local school boards, not the state, have the constitutional authority to oversee K-12 education.