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GA voters pass the Charter School Amendment against public school boards' hopes

Georgia voters say "Yes" to the Charter School Amendment that will set up a state appointed commission to develop charter schools.
Georgia voters say "Yes" to the Charter School Amendment that will set up a state appointed commission to develop charter schools.
Nicole Bailey-Covin

By 58% to 42%, Georgia voters pass Amendment 1 Tuesday night with 97% of the precincts reporting. The controversial Charter School referendum decision means that the state will now approve charter schools over local school board’s objections. Amendment 1 calls for the creation of an appointed committee, by Georgia’s Governor, Lieutenant Governor and State House Speaker that would serve as an additional appeal and most likely affirming board.

Under current Georgia law, charter school applicants must first apply to the local school board. If the application is rejected, they can appeal to the Georgia Board of Education. Supporters say Amendment 1 is another path to charter school development under the appointed commission. Proponents say it all boiled down to parents and students deserving the opportunity to choose other educational options beyond troubled public schools. There was strong push for more charter schools where the educational environment has a history of student success. And while last year the Georgia Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional to establish a State Charter Commission separate from the State Board of Education; Tuesday night Georgia voters decided the Charter School Amendment was needed.

For those opposing the Charter School referendum, they say there were several problems with the measure, starting with its wording on the ballot. Opponents said the language was intentionally misleading to Georgia voters, and is most likely the reason it passed by such a large margin. Opponents in the state legislature pointed to the measure as one that will set up a new school board with unelected political appointees. They are also concerned that the measure will provide an undue tax burden on taxpayers and give the governor too much control over the allocation of state dollars. Finally opponents worry that the Charter School referendum will open the door to a new generation of segregation negatively impacting rural and predominantly black districts outside of Atlanta.

The pre-election day campaign for and against Amendment 1 included: radio and television commercials, law suits and public rallies. As the debate heated up, many Georgia voters had already casted ballots as the state experienced recorder early voter turnout. So now the day after this historic election, both sides of Amendment 1 will assess the final numbers and plan their next move.

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