State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia
Minutes
Rescheduled Board Meeting
Date and Time
Wednesday December 10, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Location
SCSC Board Room
1356B Twin Towers East,
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE
Atlanta, GA 30334
Virtual Access Information
Phone: +1 646 931 3860
Meeting ID: 844 2791 6648
Passcode: 965938
1356 Twin Towers East,
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Directors Present
B. Brockway, B. Scafidi, C. Good, L. Millan (remote), M. Dudgeon, S. Sweeney
Directors Absent
T. Lowden
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
C.
Approve Minutes
Approved by consent.
II. Governance Items
A.
2026 Regular Meeting Calendar
III. Rulemaking Action Items
A.
Staff Recommendation: Repeal SCSC Rules 691-3-.01 through 691-3-.05
B.
Staff Recommendation: Adopt SCSC Rule 691-3-.01
C.
Staff Recommendation: Amend SCSC Rule 691-2-.06
D.
Staff Recommendation: Adopt SCSC Rule 691-2-.11, Education Service Providers
Chairman Dudgeon recommended that we establish a working group comprising a diverse range of stakeholders to further discuss this rule. Although the feedback was thoughtful, Chairman Dudgeon and Commissioner Scafidi noted the need for more information to support the rule.
Commissioner Millan agreed with the previous commissioner statements. She noted that concerns appear when a board lacks the capacity to oversee the ESP.
IV. Policy Action Items
A.
Staff Recommendation: Adopt Revised SCSC Governance Training Policy
B.
Staff Recommendation: Approve SCSC Emergency School Operations Grant
The Chairman mentioned that the definition of the emergency circumstances in the previous operations grant was the subject of concern. Thus, clarification is helpful. Commissioner Scafidi asked whether the SCSC had sought feedback on this policy. The Senior Director of School Support & Outreach responded that, because this is a policy rather than a rule change, there was no public comment period.
Chairman Good noted that this grant is not available more than once in a two-year time span, without advance approval. She wants to ensure that schools understand this component of the grant.
V. CSP SE Grant Action Items
A.
Staff Recommendation: Accept the Transfer of the FY2022 CSP State Entity Grant
At Chairman Dudgeon's request, the Senior Director for School Support and Outreach explained that the State Charter Schools Foundation had initially applied for the grant and had been operating for the last few years. The State Charter Schools Foundation and State Charter Schools Commission chose to transfer the grant to the State Charter Schools Commission to consolidate processes and supports.
The application for the grant award was submitted this summer and was approved on Friday, December 4, 2025. The staff is fully prepared to implement the grant at the commission.
Chairman Dudgeon added that this transfer will enable efficiencies by eliminating duplicated efforts and allow all state charter school stakeholders to work in the same direction.
This transfer includes over $12.5 million of awards requested and awarded during the transfer period. It will support tutoring and CTAE. An additional grant waiver request is pending US. Ed. consideration. If approved, it will dramatically reduce administrative costs for all entities.
Commissioners applauded the Senior Director for School Support & Outreach's efforts in getting the grant approved.
B.
Staff Recommendation: Approve CSP SE Subgrant Awards
- Cherokee Classical Academy (Dr. James Keller, Director of Public Programs, Grants, and Revenue) thanked the SCSC for the grant award. Noting that the school is already open, with a waitlist of 450 students. The school has achieved great community engagement through multiple events, including Curriculum Night. It has purchased the building and plans to make updates to the campus in the future.
- Academy for Innovation in Medicine (AIM) (Dr. Kristi Beam) will open July 29, 2026. She thanked the SCSC for enabling the school to open and serve its community through access to CSP funds. The funds will ensure that students can be equipped with what they need from day one.
- Christine Keck (Meliora School) expressed that she was honored to be granted this award. She recognized the team that had supported her and the school during this phase. She thanked the SCSC for believing in the school.
- Northwest Georgia Charter School (Cassie Potts, Co-Founder and Board Secretary) thanked the SCSC for awarding the school the maximum amount available to the school.
Chairman Dudgeon congratulated Tapestry on their award. He noted that we are addressing needs that have long been identified.
C.
Staff Recommendation: Approve Amended SCSC FY26 Budget to Add CSP Funds
This item was removed from the agenda for future discussion by the Chairman.
VI. Division Reports
A.
Finance Division
All charter schools submitted their FY25 audits on time. Commissioner Dudgeon thanked commissioners for getting tough on audit submissions. He noted that it appears to be working. Vice Chairman Good celebrated all schools meeting the deadline, noting that this has always been the expectation.
B.
Research & Evaluation
The Director of Research & Evaluation noted that we received CCRPI data a month earlier than last year. The team has already calculated academic scores for renewal schools; however, they are still awaiting the release of additional data from GaDOE.
The additional data is not expected to impact renewal considerations.
Renewal recommendations will be sent to schools on February 11. The Commission will vote on these recommendations at the February SCSC meeting.
C.
Office of Charter School Compliance
The Senior Director for the Office of Charter School Compliance (OCSC), Allen Mueller, noted the efforts the SCSC has been making to streamline charter petition processes statewide.
He noted that we have already streamlined the petition submission process. We have now further streamlined the evaluation process by gaining SBOE approval for a Local Charter Performance Framework (LCPF). The LCPF was made possible through intense collaboration with the OCSC and staff across SCSC divisions, including Robert Watts (New Schools) and Annie Chen (Finance).
Later this month, the OCSC will present additional recommendations to the State Board of Education.
Commissioner Dudgeon expressed excitement about the movement on these items.
VII. Charter Contract Action Items
A.
Movement School Athens: Charter Surrender
B.
Excelsior Village Academies: Attendance Zone Expansion
Michele Flowers from Excelsior Village Academies thanked the SCSC for considering its request. The expansion represents access to opportunities for families seeking this type of education.
C.
Spring Creek Charter School: Enrollment Limit Increase & Non-Profit Entity
D.
Liberation Academy, Miles Ahead Charter School, PEACE Academy and ZEST Preparatory Academy: Extend Charter Term (1-Year Deferral)
Chairman Dudgeon inquired about the possibility of automating these types of amendments. The General Counsel agreed to look into this inquiry.
The Vice Chair asked about the timing of these extensions. The Director of New Schools noted that these schools were part of the pre-opening cohort in which the SCSC initiated its enrollment verification process.
As a result of the enrollment verification process, several start-up schools deferred their opening due to concerns about low enrollment.
VIII. Executive Director Comments
A.
SCSC Staff
The Executive Director recognized two staff promotions:
- Molly Gassman was promoted from School Support & Outreach Specialist to School Support & Outreach Manager.
- Guin Jones was promoted from Petitions Coordinator to Petitions Specialist.
The Executive Director thanked Annie Chen and Molly Gassman for their continued work on the Charter School Program (CSP) grant.
The commissioners approved the 2026 board meeting schedule by consent. Meetings will occur on the following dates in 2026:
*Moved to the first Wednesday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.