An Uncertain Future

Saturday, 995 students won a spot at the county's first charter school. Monday, they learned the school may not even open. We have compiled a list of questions you've asked in light of such as Cherokee Charter Academy.

Q: In layman's terms, what did the state Supreme Court decide?

A: Monday, the state Supreme Court said only local school districts could fund and open charter schools. Cherokee Charter Academy and 15 other charters were approved by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission, which the Supreme Court deemed unconstitutional.

Q: What does this mean for Cherokee Charter Academy families?

A: "As you can assume," Charter Schools USA spokeswoman Colleen Reynolds wrote in an email to Canton-Sixes Patch, "we are trying to work out exactly what this means for the students and families." Charter Schools USA operates Cherokee Charter Academy.

Q: Will Cherokee Charter open in the fall? What's going to happen with the building, Cherokee Charter's new home?

A: "We don’t want to issue anything about how it impacts students or what our plans are until we fully understand the ramifications," Reynolds said. "We will send updated information when we have it."

Q: How does this affect the time limit that parents were given to accept the child's place in the school? Are they going to extend it until they have a concrete plan in place?

A: "I honestly don’t know the answer to that," Reynolds said. "Our executive team is meeting and until I hear from them, I don’t have any specifics that I can release."

Q: Can the approve the school's charter?

A: It's not likely that will happen. Cherokee Charter Academy was approved by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission after the denied its charter application.

Q: Is there any recourse?

A: "We are working with the Attorney General's office to determine the timing and effect of today's Supreme Court ruling on the status of the currently operating and the new Commission schools and the options they have moving forward," said Louis Erste, the director of the Georgia Department of Education's Charter School Division.

Q: Is there a number I can call to ask additional questions?

A: Call Cherokee Charter Academy officials at 866-KIDS-USA. You can also view a letter from Charter Schools USA, the operator of Cherokee Charter Academy, on this page.