Every dollar counts and your donation will help leave a “Legacy of Learning.”

Please join us to learn the who, what, when, why and how of CHCS. Opening a charter school takes the support of a community and we need your HELP to make it happen! There are numerous volunteer opportunities requiring various skill sets.

Click here for more information Volunteer Day    

The CHCS planning committee has been working hard over the past months to move through the complex charter school petition and approval process.

Where do we stand today?

CHCS Approved by Fulton County

Our final petition was submitted to Fulton County on schedule, March 9th. and was approved by Fulton County on June 12th,. This was a major forward step in making our shared vision for this unique public charter school a reality.

State Approval is Needed

As part of the process for any charter school; the State of Georgia must also grant approval. The state requires detailed budgets and re-formatting of the petition to meet their guidelines. The updated petition was submitted to the state on October 15th and on November 1st, the CHCS Board had a State interview. The state then requested several revisions and clarifications that were completed and the petition was re-submitted on November 28th. The state will meet in early 2013 to determine which charters will be approved – we fully expect to be among those approved.

Submissions on Schedule

All county and state questions have been addressed, all back up materials supplied, and final petitions have been presented early or on time. The approval process and dates set forth by the County and State based on their meeting schedules and agendas. The CHCS Board has no power over this timing other than the responsibility to meet all deadlines with completed materials delivered on time. This we have done.

What activities have been taking place during the petition process?

The Curriculum

The curriculum has been tuned to assure CHCS students will exceed state and national standards while our unique triple focus (Arts, Agriculture, and the Environment) has been strengthened.

Operating Budget

The budget is based on the number of students attending CHCS. Working with the County and the State we have arrived at an optimum budget that will allow both thenumber of educators and support staff necessary to maintain smaller class sizes, and the successful implementation of our unique curriculum.

Staffing

Our intent is to seek out, hire and retain superior educators and support staff that wants a state of the art school where students will excel through the experiential concept of our curriculum and in the unique setting of CHCS.

Communications

Because we have been going through a complex process with some unknown outcomes, our communications have been sporadic up until now. However, please keep in mind that the CHCS website http://www.chatthillscharter.org/ has updated information about the school and many details about our curriculum. There is also a Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/chatthillscharterschool for dialogue and two-way communication. Please note: When CHCS receives its anticipated approval from the state, a Newsletter will be issued on a consistent basis.

Facilities Due Diligence

We have been working to determine the best course of action for a school (place) that augments CHCS curriculum. As part of this process, existing buildings and facilities throughout South Fulton have been investigated. Temporary student classrooms (modular and trailers) have been researched as well as churches, warehouses, etc. All facilities must meet Federal, State and local government parameters for strict school infrastructure and code compliance.

Facilities Update

It has been determined that the best course for CHCS is to create our unique facilities from a blank page. Based on our previous experience during the petition process two years ago, we have acquired a great deal of knowledge about how to go about this approach. In fact there is already a wealth of material in our archives. The board and project team are now conducting a final determination as to the location of CHCS and how it will be developed and funded. We are conducting detailed discussion with landowners, investors, developers, architects, and builders to arrive at the best solution for our future students.

What do we expect going forward?

Timing

Pending approval from the state in early 2013, we anticipate opening CHCS in a brand new facility in August of 2014 for the 2014/2015 school-year. The simple fact is we cannot enter into serious final negotiations for our land or facility until final State approval is secured. This limitation does not allow ample time between the anticipated State approvals and fall 2013 to satisfactorily complete the school we envision.

While we have been hoping and planning to open in August of 2013, based on the state approval date of Jan/Feb 2013, the final procurement of land, and construction

of a facility, it is simply imprudent and ill-advised to push this course of action. In fact, we have been advised by the State and County to open in fall 2014.

Next steps

Pending state approval, we will notify everyone that we are moving forward with a timetable for our opening. As we build our facility, we will continue planning over the spring and summer of 2013. In the fall, we will finalize staffing requirements and begin recruiting for Administration, teachers and support staff in late 2013. Student recruitment will commence early in 2014.

As we move into 2013, we will be issuing regular newsletters and communications detailing the progress of opening CHCS.

We wish you a safe and happy holiday season.

CHCS Planning Committee

Stephanie has spent 13 years in the fundraising world as a Development Professional, working for organizations that include the Leukemia Society and the American Society. Her most recent work was with St. Mary’s Health Care System, where she served as the Grant Specialist, helping raise close to a million dollars during her 4-year tenure. Her past community involvement includes the Serenbe Playhouse Board, Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, BreastFest Executive Committee, Athens Area Cancer Auxiliary, Lead Athens 2009 Graduate and St. Mary’s Young Professional Advisory Board. 

Stephanie and her husband, Brandon, relocated to the Chattahoochee Hills area in February of this year with their two dogs, Tucker and Miles. They are currently building a new home and are excited to be a part of such an active, thoughtful and welcoming community.

If you are interested in getting involved with CHCS, please contact Stephanie at stephanie.walsh@chatthillscharter.org.

 

This Townhall meeting will address HR1162, also referred to as the Charter School Amendment, which will be on the November 6, 2012 General Election ballot.
 

In addition to State Rep. Roger Bruce (D-64), Dr. Robert Avossa, Superintendent Fulton County Schools, Lynda Bryant, Fulton County School Board Member. Gordon Pritz, Superintendent Douglas County Schools, DT Jackson, Douglas County School Board Member, Tracey Nelson, Ga. Association of Educators (GAE), Verdaillia Turner, President Ga. Federation Of Teachers, Stacey Abrams, House Minority Leader, State Senator Donzella James (D-35) and others will be participating in the townhall meeting. It is expected that more than 200 people will be in attendance.
 

The intent is to educate voters regarding the factual impact the amendment will have on education throughout the state.  There will be clarification of the wording of the question as it appears on the ballot. The audience and media will be invited to ask questions as well.  
We encourage you to attend and let your concerns be heard as well as to receive valuable information.

For more information please contact Roger Bruce 678-428-8067 <tel:678-428-8067>  or 404-656-0314 <tel:404-656-0314> 

This community collectively contributed countless hours, and immense brain power and talent to make this happen. We want to offer a huge “Thank You” to everyone who helped with this monumental effort, which will have an important and lasting impact on Fulton County's educational opportunities and long-term health.

The Chattahoochee Hills Charter School governing board and application team will be meeting with Fulton County to discuss next steps and timelines for the school opening in the Fall of 2013.

We will post information after that meeting detailing volunteer opportunities and would love for anyone and everyone to be involved.

Let's build a school!!

You may also find more up-to-date information on our facebook page by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page. Thank you for your continued support for Chattahoochee Hills Charter School.

Beginning Friday, May 4th, The HGTV Green home in Serenbe opens to the public. You can tour the beautifully decorated Farmhouse that sets standards for Green Living.  The cost for tours is $20 and can be visited through June 24th, between the hours of 11am-7pm. IT IS CLOSED ON MONDAYS. Graciously, Serenbe has offered to donate all tour proceeds to 2 wonderful community non-profits, Chattahoochee Hills Charter School and The Serenbe Institute. CHCS would like to invite you out to visit the Green Home and thanks the public and Serenbe for their contributions.

Our plan the first year of operation at Chattahoochee Hills Charter School is a K-5 school with future plans of becoming a K-8 school by our fourth year of operation (2016-17.) The original plan of expanding one grade per year continues to look realistic. By that year (2016-17) we will be a K-8 public charter school. Our goal is to achieve national recognition for excellence in student achievement through an engaging learning environment that helps families grow, learn and excel - together. If you would like to be a part of our dream, we’d love you to join us!

We will keep you up to date with the latest information. Thank you again for your support.