ATLANTA ‐ The State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia (SCSC) today announced that it would return $1,414,642 to state charter schools following the close of Fiscal Year (FY) 2015. SCSC operations are solely funded through an administrative fee deducted from the annual operating budgets of state charter schools. In March, the SCSC voted unanimously to return any remaining fundsto schools upon satisfaction of the SCSC’s expenses in FY 2015, as it did in FY 2014. Because the funds do not lapse, state charter schools can utilize the returned funds during the upcoming school year.

Governor Nathan Deal applauded the SCSC for its fiscal responsibility. “I believe that parents deserve a choice in where their child receives an education,” said Deal. “Charter schools offer a strong educational alternative to parents and children, and I commend the State Charter School Commission for operating with financial efficiency and providing these schools with the resources they need to give Georgia’s students top‐notch educational opportunities.”

Earlier this year, the SCSC also voted to decrease its administrative fee from 3 percent to slightly less than 2 percent in FY 2015 for the second consecutive year. In statute, the administrative fee is set at 3 percent unless the Commission votes to reduce that percentage. By decreasing the administrative fee and returning additional funds to schools at the end of the fiscal year, the SCSC voluntarily returned $2,936,693 in additional funding to state charter schools in FY 2015. In the past two fiscal years, the SCSC has provided a combined total of more than $5.2 million in additional funding to state charter schools through the reduced administrative fee and returned funds.

“We are pleased to once again realize operational efficiencies that allow these dollars to be used where they are most effective ‐ in the schools and classrooms,” said Deputy Director Gregg Stevens.

The SCSC is a state‐level, independent charter school authorizing entity. The mission of the SCSC is to improve public education by authorizing high quality charter schools that provide students with better educational opportunities than they would otherwise receive in traditional district schools. The SCSC has the power to approve or deny petitions for state charter schools and renew, non‐renew, or terminate state charter school petitions in accordance with Georgia law.

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Contact Information:

Gregg Stevens, Deputy Director and General Counsel, [email protected]