Braselton Town Council mulling proposal from charter school group

It would fund the renovation and pay the town an annual lease of approximately $100,000. The Michigan-based organization — which has partnered with 100 charter schools in nine states — seeks a lease of at least 40 years.

The Town of Braselton acquired the West Jackson Primary School building in 2021 for approximately $1 million.

“We concluded, without a lot of hesitation, that it’s a great school for that,” Jeff Chamberlain of NHA said of the location. “It’s sized perfectly.”

A non-profit board known as New Schools Georgia, comprising mainly local members, would oversee the proposed Braselton school, which would serve an estimated 772 students. Four board members are Braselton residents. The other is an Atlanta-area resident who started over 10 charter schools in South Africa.

The school, called Four Points Preparatory Academy, would be run by a principal and grade-level deans. The principal would work under a supervisor serving in a superintendent-type role. NHA would manage the school’s day-to-day operation under the non-profit board’s direction. Town leaders would have no involvement in running the school.

Under this agreement, the town leaders would place the building under the control of the town’s public facilities authority, which would lease the space to NHA.

Though the town owns the former school site, the property does not lie within the corporate limits of Braselton, bringing annexation into question when considering the lease. The school sits in an unincorporated island in Jackson County. Additionally, its ballfields are in Hoschton, and a portion of the back of the property lies in Braselton.

“It is one of the more complicated properties that I’ve ever seen,” Chamberlain said.

The non-profit board will apply for the school’s charter in mid-March but can do so without having the school’s location finalized. It will interview with the state charter school commission in May. It should likely hear an answer by the end of May or early June.

“It think it sounds like to me you guys would like something from us by mid-April,” Mayor Kurt Ward said to the charter school representatives.

The board will apply for the grant funding in March as the school is eligible for $1-1.3 million.

The charter school would receive state funding as a public school but would not pull any property-tax dollars from local county schools. That’s because a charter is being sought through the state charter school commission, not the department of education. Though the school would be geared toward Braselton-area residents, its attendance zone would be state-wide.

NHA has not yet surveyed the site to determine the exact remodeling and reconfiguration plans. But part of NHA’s plan is to route pick-up and drop-off traffic off busy Hwy. 53 with multiple lanes for vehicle stacking. The organization would reconfigure the school’s exit to face Henry St. and locate pick-up and drop-off behind the school.

NHA officials say the demand is significant for this school. Braselton — located in four different counties — is divided between four school systems leaving some parents driving longer distances to transport their children to school.

“This is an opportunity for something a lot closer,” Chamberlain said.

Jeff Ichesco of NHA said well over 50% of those in the area polled by a third-party organization said they would “likely” send their children there.

Other NHA schools are reportedly popular. Ichesco said one location in Charlotte opened with a waiting list of over 1,000 families. Other NHA schools in North Carolina hold waiting lists of 600-800 families.

STUDY OF SCHOOL SITE POSTPONED

In a related matter, the town council voted 5-0 at its Monday (Feb. 13) meeting to postpone a $40,000 marketability and renovation study for the old West Jackson Primary School as it considers the charter school lease proposal. The study would provide a list of potential uses for the site, rehabilitation plans and needs for updating the building. The study is required to gain eligibility for state and federal renovation grants, according to Town Manager Jennifer Scott.

Council member Richard Harper suggested postponing the study during the town’s Feb. 9 work session while it considers the school proposal. Council member Jim Joedecke expressed interest in gaining more information from the survey while expressing reservations about the study’s cost.

“I think the more information we have, the better,” Joedecke said. “Do I want to pay 40 grand for it? No, I don’t think so.”

“A school sounds like a good idea on some levels,” he added. “I want to make sure it’s the best use of the property for downtown Braselton.”

Council member James Murphy also expressed concerns about the cost.

“I would love to get a really good understanding of all the different things we can do,” he said. “I think for me, the heartburn is caused by the $40,000 expense.”

In voting to table school building study, the council also voted to request a formal letter of intent from National Heritage Academies for the facility.