Charter evening school proposed

Madison County school leaders may sign the system up to participate in a regional charter evening school in Bowman next year.

A Mountain Education Charter High School is being proposed in Elbert County in the old Bowman Elementary School, which was shut down recently due to a lack of funding.

The proposed high school would serve Madison, Elbert, Franklin and Hart counties and would operate year-round from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

The charter high school would give students at risk of dropping out another classroom alternative, allowing them to work at their own pace to complete school. Likewise, students could maintain a day job while going to school at night.

“We just want to give kids a big tool kit,” said Madison County school superintendent Dr. Allen McCannon. “This is something we’ve been looking at as another pathway for kids to be successful.”

McCannon said the charter school would be funded directly by the state and that Madison County’s expenses would be minimal — perhaps busing for some kids to attend the school.

The Mountain Education Charter High School, which was founded in Union County in 1993, has eight sites in Georgia. The school’s average graduation rate in north Georgia is 80 percent.

Madison County’s school board has not taken any vote on the proposal. McCannon said the school aims to open in the summer or fall of next year.

The superintendent said he feels the level of instruction at the school will be top notch.

“They try to get veteran teachers who just retired to participate,” said McCannon. “It’s a good way for those teachers to make extra money.”