Resources for New Charter Petitioners

Start Up Petition Process and Documents

Individuals or organizations who elect to petition for the creation of a new APS charter school will go through a process with the following components:

Submission of a letter of intent (required)
Potential petitioner workshop to learn more about the petition process and opportunity to hear from APS charter school leaders (optional but strongly encouraged)
Submission of charter petition application to Office of Charter & Partner Schools (required, see below)
Panel interview to assess capacity of the school’s governing board and elements of the school’s petition application, including the distinctive and unique aspects of the school’s educational program, organizational and financial viability, and community support

At the conclusion of the process above, the Office of Charter & Partner Schools will consult with the APS superintendent who will make a recommendation to the Atlanta Board of Education to approve or deny the school’s charter petition. If approved, the State Board of Education will then make its own determination as to whether to approve or deny the school’s charter petition.

Required 2024 Charter Petition Application and Supporting Documents

Petitioner’s Letter of Intent must be emailed to Shonda Goldsmith from the Office of Charter + Partner Schools no later than 4:00pm on December 8, 2023
- Please use the Georgia DOE Letter of Intent template
Petitioner’s Workshop - via Zoom: January 12, 2024 at 11am
Petition Application Deadline: March 8, 2024 by 4:00pm (see APS addendum for submission instructions)
- Include the Georgia DOE Initial Charter School Application and Assurances Form.
- Include the 2024 APS Addendum for Start-Up Petitions, Estimated Petitioner Earnings Worksheet, and Charter Funding Agreement.

The only petitions that will be evaluated and considered for the 2023 Start-Up petition cycle will be from those petitioners who file a letter of intent with Atlanta Public Schools by December 8, 2023 and who meet the March 8, 2024 deadline for petition submissions.