Proposed charter school reapplies

The organizers of the proposed Cumberland Academy charter school have resubmitted a revised application for consideration by the Cheatham County School Board.

The application was turned in on Friday, said Jimmy Hopper, a Cheatham County Central High School teacher, one of the organizers of the charter school.

The Cheatham County School Board denied the original application on June 24. The board will have 30 days to reconsider the amended application.

If approved, Cumberland Academy would be one of the first rural charter schools in the state.

Hopper, who is working with former Cheatham Middle School teacher Jonny Gersten, said they have revised the application to address several concerns mentioned by the school district’s six-member charter school review committee.

“We looked at that as quality feedback and used it to update our application,” Hopper said. “We feel like we have a quality application going forward.”

Among the areas that were readdressed included facilities, transportation, curriculum, special education and financing.

The charter school review committee did not recommend the original application, and director of schools Stan Curtis agreed with the committee’s recommendation.

As previously reported, committee chairman Beth Batson, the district’s human resources, student services and policy supervisor, said the proposed school did not meet the requirements for its education and financial plans and partially met the requirements for its operational plan.

While working on the revised application, Hopper said Batson had been helpful in clarifying what items specifically needed to be addressed.

Under the proposal, Cumberland Academy would open in the fall of 2015 and start with the fifth-grade and then add a grade level each year until it reaches twelfth grade.

Under the plan, Hopper would serve as the principal of the charter school, while Gersten would be the dean of culture.

Under the funding formula for charter schools, the state and local per-pupil dollar amount follows students to their new schools, which is a major sticking point for opponents.