Georgia school officials plan for more online schools
Cyber learning opportunities will increase for students in Georgia after a recent vote by the state's charter schools commission. Officials voted to increase the amount of money being spent per pupil in cyber schools and gave one online institution, along with two brick and mortar charter schools, the green light to open next fall. Georgia Connections Academy, the online school, plans to use the funds to offer students classes they would typically find in traditional schools.
“This is really a great day for Georgia, what a wonderful Christmas gift for kids,” Board President of Georgia Connections Academy, Stephanie A. Reid, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We are really excited about the nontraditional learning opportunities that Georgia Connections Academy is going to provide students next fall."
One commissioner says the charter schools board made the right decision, saying the move will help push the Peach State's school systems to the forefront of online learning.
“What we just did is to bring Georgia’s educational system into the 21st century,” Ben Scafidi, chairman of the Georgia Charter Schools Commission, said after votes were cast, according to the Atlantic Journal-Constitution. “Come this fall, Georgia will be a national leader in virtual education.”
The amount of money being spent per pupil in Georgia's online schools will jump from $3,400 to $5,800, bringing it much closer to the national average of $6,500. Brick and mortar schools in Georgia receive $8,800 per pupil in state funding. The commission's decision to boost per-pupil funding for online institutions by 80 percent will allow for two other cyber schools to open as well as for the expansion of Georgia Cyber Academy, which is looking to add 10th, 11th, and 12th graders to their student roster. The virtual school already boasts of 6,500 students and is the state's largest remote learning academy.
The brick and mortar charter schools approved by the commission to open next fall are Cherokee Charter Academy, Heritage Preparatory Academy and Chattahoochee Hills Charter School. Georgia Connections Academy is expected to launch next fall with 500 students from all over the state. The Georgia Charter Schools Commission was created by the state's General Assembly in 2008. Working within the state's Department of Education, the commission has the authority to allocate state monies to charter schools and give new schools the go-ahead.
A portion of the funds outlined in this latest deal could be at risk due to state budget woes that may lead to cuts for Georgia's K-12 schools.
