City school board member says 'no' to charter school amendment

GAINESVILLE - With the consent of fellow board members, Gainesville School Board member David Syfan stepped away from his board duties Monday night and took at turn to speak as a citizen on the issue of Georgia's proposed charter school amendment.

According to Superintendent Dr. Merriane Dyer, Syfan came before the board in the Citizens Comments portion of Monday night's meeting to voice opposition to the amendment. Syfan said he is opposed to the measure on a number of fronts, including what he said would be the likely loss of funding for local school systems as well as loss of local board control for schools.

Just last week, a Fulton County Superior Court judge turned aside a lawsuit attempting to stop school board members from voicing opposition to the proposed amendment. The suit, while heard in Fulton County, was brought against all of the state's 180 school districts.

Five plaintiffs, including the chair of the Jackson County Republican Party, claimed that Fulton officials campaigned illegally against the proposed constitutional amendment that would put more control of charter schools in the state's hands.

The amendment is up for a vote statewide on November 6.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2012/10/254135