What started out as a dispute between the Coweta County School Board and a group of concerned parents trying to start a charter school has now garnered the attention of the state's Republican Party.

Late last week, Republican Party chairman Chuck Clay expressed agreement with a recent state school board decision to withhold $160,000 in federal funds to the system's charter school, Central Technical, until the local school board decides on the parents' Odyssey School petition.

“The state school board was absolutely right to withhold Coweta County's funding until they obey the law. The Coweta County School Board needs to explain why a charter school run by the school system receives quick approval, while a parent-initiated charter is repeatedly denied, even after the parents offer three separate revisions to appease them,” said Clay.

Linda Hamrick, who also works with the state Republican Party, said the party is staunchly in favor of parent-initiated charter schools and is glad the state school board is trying to put some teeth in the legislation that allowed parents to initiate charter school petitions.

Clay believes the message sent by the state school board is loud and clear.

“We applaud the new state school board for taking a stand on behalf of parents who are working for reform within the system and who want a better education for their children. Maybe now parent-initiated charter schools will have a fighting chance in Georgia,” he said.

The charter school controversy in Coweta County started last April when the Odyssey Group first broached the idea of a charter school.

Since that time, Odyssey officials have revised the petition three times, but have not received approval from the Coweta County Board of Education to start the school.

The board is scheduled to discuss the subject again at its Sept. 14 meeting.

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