The Alabama Public Charter School Commission approved plans for a new charter school in Birmingham Monday. The Birmingham school board rejected the i3 Academy application in January, and school organizers appealed to the state.
The next step is for i3 Academy and the state to negotiate a contract for the school. It will outline expectations for academic performance, school operations and finances, school officials say.
Logan Searcy, the Alabama State Department of Education’s liaison to the charter school commission, says the charter school contracts are legally binding agreements.
“The perception that charter schools (in Alabama) are not accountable is not accurate,” Searcy says. “Charter schools have expectations. If they don’t meet those expectations, they can be closed in five years.”
The state will review the school annually, she says.
Tommy Bice, former state education superintendent, is part of the team working to establish i3 Academy. He says they will open the school with the expectation that students can perform at a higher level.
“All kids can learn when given the right instruction,” Bice says.
I3 Academy will offer grades K-5 in the Woodlawn area. Enrollment will be open to any student in Birmingham, according to the school’s proposal.
After negotiating the contract with the state, Bice says school leaders will look at the type of teachers needed to help students achieve their best.
Charter schools receive public funds. State law gives them flexibility to operate separately from the traditional school board.
Because i3 Academy was rejected by the Birmingham school board, the Birmingham board will not oversee school operations.
I3 Academy plans to open in the Woodlawn area in 2020. It will be the second Birmingham-area charter school. Legacy Prep is scheduled to open in August in west Birmingham.
The U.S. Department of Education announced a $25 million grant today to support charter schools in Alabama.
Many students who identify as LGBTQ here in Alabama say they’ve been harassed or assaulted because of their sexuality. A new charter school proposed in Birmingham aims to make these young people feel safe in the classroom.
The Alabama Public Charter School Commission is scheduled to vote Monday on a proposed charter school in Woodlawn. The Birmingham school board recently rejected i3 Academy’s bid to open in the city, and organizers appealed to the state.
The Birmingham School Board informed the state today that it denied an application for a Woodlawn-area charter school and explained why it was rejected.
The Birmingham school board denied the application Thursday for a proposed charter school in Woodlawn.
Birmingham’s first charter school would open in Woodlawn next fall for students in grades K-5 under a proposal before the Birmingham Board of Education. School leaders heard mixed feedback on the plan at a Thursday night hearing.
