The State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia (SCSC) 2020 Petition Application is now available on the SCSC website. For the 2020 Start-Up Charter School Application Cycle, new start-up charter schools must plan to open in the 2021-2022 school year or later. Interested parties should review the petitioner resources and important reminders below.
Petitioner Resources
- General Information: We encourage applicants to explore the Start a School section of the SCSC website to learn more about SCSC expectations and the petition process. Of specific interest for petitioners are the SCSC Rule for State Charter School Petitions, presentations and training materials from SCSC Petitioner Boot Camps, the Petition Evaluation Guide, and state charter school guidance.
- Early Feedback Program: The SCSC Early Feedback Program allows petitioners to receive feedback from the SCSC and make meaningful changes to their applications prior to final submission.
- EFP Registration Deadline: January 17, 2020.
- Eligibility: To participate, a petitioning group must have:
- attended an SCSC Petitioner Bootcamp within the last 3 years;
- a governing board comprised of at least five members; and
- established a Georgia nonprofit and otherwise be an eligible charter school applicant in accordance with O.C.G.A 20-2-2-65.
- Webinars and Technical Assistance: The SCSC will host two informational webinars on the 2020 Petition application. These webinars will be recorded for those who are unable to attend live.
o SCSC Petitioner Webinar: 2020 Petition Overview and Fluid Review Introduction – Register
Thursday, October 17, 2019, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM EST
o SCSC Petitioner Webinar: Funding and Budget Template Overview – Register
Thursday, October 24, 2019, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM EST
Important Reminders
- Updated and Revised Petition: The 2020 application and accompanying materials have been updated and revised since the previous cycle (do not copy and paste the content of a previous application into the 2020 template).
- Local Submission Requirements: Most petitions must also be submitted to the local board of education where the school will locate. Additionally, schools that designate a defined attendance zone (other than statewide) must submit a letter of intent to the local school district and the Georgia Department of Education prior to the applicable deadlines. It is the responsibility of the charter petitioner to comply with local submission processes and timelines. Find more information on local submission requirements on the SCSC Petitioners Information for Applicants page.
- Online Application Submission: All 2020 application materials are hosted on the FluidReview petition platform, which can be accessed using the link on the 2020 Start-Up Charter School Application Cycle page of the SCSC website.
- Petition Deadline: April 10, 2020, by 4:00 PM. The SCSC intends to approve or deny petitions at its meeting on July 29, 2020.
Questions
- Contact Kristen Easterbrook (kristen.easterbrook@scsc.georgia.gov) with questions regarding the SCSC petition review process.
