Fulton Science Academy Waiver Request on Board Agenda

A request by the Fulton Science Academy High School to end its contractual obligations to the Fulton County School System is on the Fulton Board of Education's agenda Thursday. 

The board will meet at Dunwoody Springs Elementary School, 8100 Roberts Drive, Sandy Springs, starting at 4:30 p.m. An executive session will follow immediately, with a public comment period scheduled for and the remainder of the agenda at 6 p.m.

The FSA request is on the consent agenda. The Alpharetta school is filing a petition with the Georgia Charter Schools Commission for authorization to operate. 

The Fulton board voted to terminate the FSA high school charter this spring after eight years, citing similar financial and management issues experienced by the FSA Middle School. 

But Georgia voters gave charter schools another route to approval earlier this year by passing a constitutional amendment setting up the state commission. 

Fulton has given any charter schools in its system interested in seeking state approval a deadline of Dec. 20 to apply for waivers. 

Should those charter schools not be approved by the state commission, any operating contracts they have with Fulton will remain in effect. 

Another charter school item is on the agenda, a renewal of the Amana Academy for another five years.  

The Alpharetta charter school, which began in 2004, has 830 students in K-8. Fulton school officials said Amana has high academic performance, is well-managed financially and governed in a transparent manner and has strong community support. 

If the Amana charger is renewed, Fulton would fund it to the tune of $37.4 million over the next five years. 

For more information on these and other meeting items, click here to read through the full agenda.