Charter closure would displace 1,000 students

The International Academy of Smyrna has had falling scores on the state report card for two straight years.

A Cobb County charter school faces the possibility of closure due to poor academic performance. That could displace 1,000 students.

The International Academy of Smyrna has had falling scores on the state report card for two years in a row and failed to perform at the state or district average for three of the past five years, according to the Georgia Department of Education, which, along with the school district administration, is recommending non-renewal of the soon-to-expire charter.

The DOE “will be unable to recommend a renewal or extension of International Academy of Smyrna’s charter contract at this time,” a DOE attorney wrote the school’s governing board on March 8.

The letter, which is attached to the April 20 agenda of the Cobb school board, reports that the school scored 56.7 on the College and Career Ready Performance Index for the 2015-16 school year.

The school, founded in 2006, has had two five-year contracts. The latest expires June 30, and the county school board is scheduled to vote on contract renewal April 20. Superintendent Chris Ragsdale is recommending his board vote against renewal based on “the continued decline in student performance” and “financial trends.”

There were 1,032 students enrolled during the last count, in October, according to DOE records. Most students come from households under financial duress, with 59 percent qualifying for free or reduced-price school meals — higher than the Cobb average of 44 percent and lower than the state average of 62 percent. Higher economic stress tends to correlate with lower performance.

Officials from the state referred questions to the school district. Neither the district nor the school could be reached for comment, with most districts, including Cobb, closed for spring break.