The Save Spalding Committee, a parent-led nonprofit seeking to create a new charter school in Sandy Springs, filed a petition Jan. 16 with Fulton County.
The nonprofit was formed last February, around the time the School Board voted to close Spalding Drive Elementary. Last May, Fulton County Schools rejected the nonprofit’s $10 million offer for the site, instead proposing to turn it into a teaching museum with administrative functions.
The Save Spalding Committee is working with a charter operator, National Heritage Academies, to open the Spalding Academy for Innovation and Learning, or SAIL, by the start of the 2027-28 school year.
Preparing a petition
The nonprofit laid out its mission in an email to Allen Mueller, senior director of the state’s Office of Charter School Compliance.
“SAIL’s mission is to provide a high-quality, student-centered public education that prepares all students for academic success while remaining firmly rooted in strong local governance and meaningful family and community partnerships,” the email says. “The SAIL Board of Directors is composed of community members with deep ties to the Sandy Springs and North Fulton area, bringing experience across education, nonprofit governance, finance, law, business, and community engagement.”
Charter schools are public schools that operate independently of local school districts, while following state and federal guidelines.
Since the building offer was rejected, the committee has held regular board meetings to adopt bylaws, elect officers, and work on real estate efforts and petition development.
While the Save Spalding Drive Committee is a nonprofit, its selected operator is a private for-profit management company with more than 100 charter schools in nine states.
National Heritage Academies operates two charter schools in Georgia: Atlanta Heights on the west side and Four Points Preparatory Academy in Braselton. All NHA schools are tuition-free, according to its website.
Save Spalding Committee Board Chair Raymond Grote said the nonprofit submitted required letters of intent to Fulton and DeKalb counties, as well as to the State Charter School Commission, late last year. The petitions are the next step.
Likelihood of approval
The school district and its elected board have 90 days after submission to review and vote on the petition. If the charter application is approved by the local board of education or state commission, then the nonprofit would become an official school board.
“While Fulton County Schools has expressed public support for charter schools, approvals remain rare,” Grote said. “While we do not expect approval, we are fully engaged in the process and working constructively within the system.”
Fulton County Schools has several charter schools, which it evaluates annually. The Movement School South Fulton Elementary opened last year near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Grote said the board will petition the state commission before its March 13 deadline if Fulton County Schools denies its application or does not take any action. He also said a petition will be submitted in DeKalb County because there may be land available in Dunwoody.
“The district’s decision not to sell the Spalding Drive building, instead pursuing a teaching museum the public has not embraced, reinforces our belief that approval is unlikely,” Grote said. “We respect the process, but believe the community deserves better options.”
FCS Chief Communications Officer Brian Noyes confirmed the school district received the application.
“There is a defined review and public input process outlined in state law and our policies and procedures, and we will follow that process accordingly,” Noyes said in a Jan. 20 email. “At this early stage, it would be premature to comment on the potential impact or outcome of the application.”