Pooler Charter High School May Open in 2010

With all the growth in West Chatham County, neighbors in Pooler believe it's time for their city to get its own high school.

Pooler Mayor Mike Lamb says the city's population doubled from 6,000 to 12,000 in just the last nine years. Job growth in Pooler from 2000 to 2006 was over 15 percent.

In Pooler Thursday night parents got a chance to find out more about plans for a new charter school. Dozens came to Pooler City Hall, eager to find out about West Chatham Preparatory Academy.

"There's genuine interest in this area. I think there's genuine interest in moving into a 21st century, Sky High, if you will, using the Disney movie, approach to learning where kids are using much more technology," says Rod Jenkins, co-director of West Chatham Preparatory Academy.

They're still waiting to get approval from the Savannah-Chatham County Public School Board but are hopeful they'll get the green light.

If they get approval next month, they hope to open a charter high school in August 2010, with a completely different approach to learning. Students won't use textbooks. Instead, each student will be assigned a laptop and an individualized learning plan.

"This new generation's all about computers so they're really going to need to tackle that, so, highly impressed with it," says parent Norman Duhart.

Preference will be given to students living in Pooler, Bloomingdale, and Port Wentworth.

A high school is something those in Pooler have wanted for some time, so they don't have to send their kids miles away to high school.

"I feel like it's necessary so you don't have to send your kids so far away. If the population is here, why not have a school here? I've said that a lot before, and I think this would help bring even more people into our city," says Pooler Mayor Mike Lamb.

"When I found out that my kid was going to have to go to Groves High School, it started bringing concerns to me, so when they started pushing for a high school in this area, I said I need to get on board," says Duhart.

They're hopeful this new local school will return control of education to parents and kids.

"That's what we're looking for, is return things to the family, use the technology to do so, and take kids that are right now bored, and get them fired up and move them along quite rapidly," says Jenkins.

What's the difference between a charter school and a regular school? A charter school is a public school that operates according to the terms of a charter, or contract.

The charter must be approved by a local board of education and the state board of education.

Charter schools receive state and local taxpayer funds.

The charter school can request waivers from state and local regulations that other public schools in the district follow, but in exchange for this flexibility, the charter school must meet certain performance standards specified in its charter.

The school board is set to vote on the Pooler charter school application at their meeting on May 6.