Dothan board revokes local charter-authorizer status, relinquishing some local control to state

The Dothan City Board of Education voted Oct. 21 to revoke the district’s charter school authorizer status and dissolve the authorizer committee established in 2022, nullifying stipends and budget allocations tied to that role.

The motion passed with four votes in favor (Dr. Julie Mullins-Turner, Mr. Scott Childers, Ms. Ashley Davis and Mrs. Aurie Jenkins) and three opposed (Mrs. Brenda Guilford, Dr. Franklin Jones and Mrs. Taiisha Walton). The board’s action explicitly exempted Superintendent Dr. Garrick Askew’s charter-school supplement from revocation, per his employment agreement.

The change removes the district’s local authority to approve and oversee charter schools; future charter decisions would instead be decided by a state 11-member commission in Montgomery. “State Superintendent Dr. Mackey strongly encouraged districts to remain charter authorizers to maintain local oversight,” Dr. Garrick Askew told the board, urging careful review and additional training prior to relinquishing local control.

Supporters of the revocation argued the district had concerns about stipend payments and oversight responsibilities tied to authorizer duties; some board members said they felt they had been insufficiently informed about payments to local authorizer committee members. Opponents warned that transferring authorizer authority to the state could limit local influence over charter approvals and complicate community oversight.

The board tabled no further administrative steps at the meeting; the revocation was adopted as motioned and will take effect immediately, according to the motion wording. Dr. Askew recommended revisiting the topic after the board’s October retreat to allow for additional training and deliberation.

Next steps listed by members included scheduling training on authorizer responsibilities and preparing for any administrative transitions that follow the loss of local authorizing authority.