It appears the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board will not be recommending a proposed charter school in Drew for approval.
According to a report by the Associated Press, the board is prepared to recommend the Clarksdale Collegiate Public Charter School for approval, but will not recommend the Truth Academy STEAM Charter School in Drew nor the SR1 College Prepatory & STEM Academy proposed for Canton.
The approval of the Clarksdale school is the first since 2015 for the board, which has only approved four schools out of the 23 that have applied since the board was founded through legislation in 2013.
It is a significant move for the board, which has only approved schools in the Jackson area.
The Clarksdale proposal had the support of top GOP officials, including Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves.
Clarksdale’s head administrator would be Amanda Johnson, who once founded a charter school in Helena-West Helena, Ark. that many lawmakers in 2013 pointed to as a model for success and justification for the charter school legislation.
As for Drew, the Associated Press had reported in August that there were questions surrounding revenue and the sustainability of the school.
Shades of Elegance, the backing group for Drew, had said it wanted to serve up to 360 students by 2023.
The board is expected to make all of this official on Monday night when it meets.
Representatives from Shades of Elegance could not be reached for comment.
