SHELLMAN – Valdosta isn’t the only community to benefit from the Charter School movement in South Georgia. An abandoned school in Shellman, near Albany, will soon have new life by providing educational opportunities for rural students.
The state just approved a new public charter school in Shellman, a rural, sleepy little town in the heart of Southwest Georgia agriculture country. It will open next year in a closed private school, the former Randolph Southern school. The SOWEGA STEM Charter School is born.
In a report published by WALB, the Chairman of the SOWEGA STEM Charter Board, Joyce Blanton said, “Last year we left there with tears of disappointment and this year it was tears of joy.” The school had been denied a charter by the state commission last year.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
This is the result of two and a half years of work by the SOWEGA STEM Board to build interest from the community. Though their charter was denied by the State Commission last year, but they refused to give up.
“We came back brokenhearted and talked about giving up but we knew that the children of this community needed a choice,” said Blanton in the WALB report.
Randolph Southern School was shut down two years ago due to financial problems. With no better educational options, local leaders feared a continued flight of talent from the area.
“We’ve had a lot of people that have left the area that I think the school would’ve kept them here,” Paul Langford, Mayor and Vice Chairman of SOWEGA STEM School in the WALB report.
Now, the community will have the SOWEGA STEM Charter School with a strong emphasis on high tech and math skills.
“We need to key in on that because we don’t want to lose those jobs as well,” said Blanton.
“It will be a good tool for us to attract industry that we have a choice in schools,” said Langford.
Blanton will serve as Headmaster for the school opening with 264 students K through 5, according to the report. The charter is for five years adding a grade each year. They will also reapply for a high school.
“We are a public school of choice,” said Blanton.
Interviews for teachers will be held early next year. Blanton and Langford are grateful for the donation of the building from Randolph Southern. The School will open in September 2016.
