FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Editor's note: This article previously said the schools would close but has been updated to say the schools have lost funding to reflect new information.
Two Fulton County charter schools have lost funding from the school district after the board decided the school was not in "compliance with multiple areas."
According to the board of education in the county, Rise Grammar and RISE Prep charter schools were recommended for non-renewal by the Fulton County superintendent of Schools, Dr. Mike Looney. That recommendation was accepted by the board earlier this week.
Their board president, Kimberly Dove, said that they believe this is in the "best interest" of their students and stated that "school administrators that were not in compliance with multiple areas and not providing substantial educational benefits beyond those of traditional schools."
"We have great compassion for the transition this will cause for some families and have asked Dr. Looney, district staff and school leaders to create a welcoming environment for these students," Dove said. "Our system is positioned to meet the needs of these children and will continue to focus on student achievement for all."
The RISE charter schools said in a statement they are "disappointed" and are seeking funding from Georgia to become a state-commissioned charter school rather than by the county.
They disagree with the county's judgment about the school's performance and said, "our students are showing positive growth and improvement on nationally-norm referenced assessments and internal benchmarks," adding they believe the county should give schools another year of consideration to account for the "hardships experienced by the COVID-19 pandemic"
The district did not say what steps parents would need to take, that the schools would close before the next term or explain the compliance issues at the charter school.
Statement from RISE charter schools
Schools are disappointed by the decision made by the Fulton County Board of Education to not renew our charter and close RISE Preparatory Academy and RISE Grammar for the 2023-2024 school year. Our students are showing positive growth and improvement on nationally-norm referenced assessments and internal benchmarks.
We do not believe that Fulton County School Board should have based its decision on student performance over the last two years given that the Georgia Department of Education requested and received federal accountability waivers from the U.S. Department of Education due hardships experienced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead, we believe the schools should have been given one more year of consideration for post-pandemic accountability. That is why the RISE Board and Leadership Team are planning to apply to become a state commissioned charter school. If we are unsuccessful in those efforts, we will work with our families to find the best alternative school options for our students.
Statement from the Fulton County Board of Education President Kimberly Dove
In Fulton County Schools “Where Students Come First”, the Fulton County Board of Education accepted Superintendent Looney’s recommendation for non-renewal of the charter for RISE Grammar and RISE Prep.
The Fulton County Schools Board of Education felt it was in the best interest of all students to end our charter with school administrators that were not in compliance with multiple areas and not providing substantial educational benefits beyond those of traditional schools.
We have great compassion for the transition this will cause for some families and have asked Dr. Looney, district staff and school leaders to create a welcoming environment for these students. Our system is positioned to meet the needs of these children and will continue to focus on student achievement for all.