Charter School Closer to Opening in Vicksburg

Mississippi’s Charter School Authorizer Board met this week where members approved an application from the Randy J. Naylor Memorial Foundation to move forward in opening a charter school in the Vicksburg Warren School District.

The school, Memorial Preparatory Academy, will be for children in grades K-6.

In all, the board approved five applications to move forward in the process. In addition to Vicksburg, two applications in the Greenwood Public School District, and one each in the Canton and South Pike school districts go on to the next phase.

“Operators submit their applications in May, and the board typically announces in June which schools will be allowed to move forward in the process,” Mississippi Today reported. “These potential operators hold public meetings in August and go through interviews and evaluations with the Authorizer Board and an outside evaluator, who looks at the applications on the merits of their educational program and proposed financial and operations program. The board’s final decisions will be announced on Sept. 9.”

Mississippi has five charter schools today operating in Jackson and Clarksdale. Two additional Jackson schools are scheduled to open in the fall and a third the following school year.