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Community Corner

Public, Private or Charter?

Where should our kids attend school in Cherokee County?

While Cherokee Charter Academy continues taking enrollment applications for its first fall classes, school officials and parents there are eagerly awaiting a Supreme Court decision on a high-profile case delayed last week.   

Gwinnett County School District, et al. v. Kathy Cox questions the constitutionality of the Georgia Charter Schools Commission. It is the same state board that gave a thumbs-up to start Cherokee Charter Academy even after the , an elected body, voted against it.  

Cherokee County isn't named in the lawsuit, which includes six other districts along with Gwinnett (Atlanta Public Schools, Bulloch, Candler, DeKalb, Griffin-Spalding and Henry).

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All the commotion has me wondering what other moms think about the education being offered to our kids.

Q: Given the choice, where would you most likely want your kids to attend school in Cherokee County: public, private or charter?

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A: Honestly, I am glad I do not have to make any decision about where my two girls will attend class in the fall. The oldest is off to , while the youngest will stay at  for another two years.

Private school has never been an option for us because of the cost. And Cherokee Charter is offering classes only up to the eighth grade, with plans to expand to higher grades in the coming years. That just doesn't work for me. I am not going to move my middle-schooler to a new charter when I am perfectly happy with Freedom Middle. 

Leslie Olejnik, mother of two

A: I am a lifelong resident of Cherokee County. We are an average, middle-class working family. Personally, our children attend public school. Our exposure is limited. We have only experienced and . In regards to those two schools, we have had wonderful experiences. We have had no issues with administration or teachers. We have been very pleased with our children’s education and feel that they are progressing well.

Although we are very similar to many other families in Cherokee County, I recognize there are many exceptions. My personal knowledge of other education choices may be limited, but it appears we have many options. I have heard a lot of good things about and . I also have several friends who homeschool and that seems to be working well for them. My hopes are that the charter school will also be able to open. I feel the more choices we have, the better.

Jenny Howard, mother of three

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