The district's petition will be up for consideration on the state board's consent agenda. If approved, the district would become a charter system effective July 1. A charter system is a public school system that operates under a charter or contract approved by the district's school board and the state Board of Education, with the agreement allowing the system greater flexibility in various areas as long as it can maintain student performance-based objectives.
Cartersville Superintendent Howard Hinesley Wednesday afternoon said he attended the day's state board charter committee meeting, adding that committee members unanimously approved the application's placement on today's agenda.
State board approval of the application would be the culmination of months of work on Cartersville officials' part. Cartersville School Board members gave system officials the green light to pursue charter status in March 2009, with the system submitting the application in October of that year.
In March, the district submitted an addendum to the charter system petition that had been requested by state officials who had asked for more details, such as language to be included in the district's contract if they are approved to become a charter system.
Cartersville's 21-page charter contract lists several "innovative features" it would aim to implement during the term of the charter. In addition to flexibilities in funding expenditures and "instructional scheduling and delivery to meet the differing needs of individual students," the district also would be allowed under the proposed contract to "provide nontraditional pathways to identified high school and middle school students to earn academic credit," and develop for high school students a leadership academy "designed to integrate academic skills and character development."
The contract says the district would not be limited just to the areas of flexibility listed, and if approved, the charter status would be good for five years.
The Georgia Board of Education meets at 8 a.m. at 2070 Twin Towers East, Atlanta.