Two more charter schools could be opening in the state next year, after the governing commission approved their applications.
Al.com reports the Alabama Public Charter School Commission fully approved one applicant and conditionally approved another.
Receiving full approval was the University of West Alabama – the school plans to open a public charter school in Sumter County that would begin serving 150 students in grades K through 5 in the 2018 school year. The plan is to expand the school to all grades by fall 2019, making it the first K-12 public charter school in the state.
The proposed charter school has received over $370,000 in donations and will be located on the University of West Alabama’s campus in Livingston.
The other applicant is a proposed charter high school in Montgomery, Infinity Learning Center. The school would focus primarily on at-risk youth. The plan is to enroll 285 students and focus education in four primary areas – aviation, law and law enforcement, business and healthcare. Infinity’s application was approved provided the school can prove it will meet educational standards in each area.
A third applicant – Merit Academy, to be located in Shelby County – was denied by the Commission.