Supporters and parents press Cherokee County board to authorize performing‑arts charter; board presses for details on funding, special‑ed and transportation

Representatives of the proposed Academy of Performing Arts (APA) presented a charter application and drew rounds of community testimony urging the Cherokee County School District to authorize the school.

In opening remarks, Pat Hayyatt (identified in public comment as the APA lead) described partnerships with WZQ radio, Gaffne Little Theater, the School Instrument Foundation and Kids Club of Cherokee County and said APA submitted a five‑year budget that “prioritizes classroom instruction.” Hayyatt named consultants for finance and curriculum support and framed the charter as a community effort to “lift academic outcomes” and close achievement gaps.

Washa White Fowler, a member of the APA planning team, told the board he is a local volunteer and planning committee member and urged trustees to put students’ educational well‑being first when evaluating the application. Clay (Klay) Cole, a licensed general contractor and former school board member, said APA seeks to partner with the district rather than compete with it and offered to help secure a facility that meets state requirements.

Several residents spoke in favor. Peter Wagner, a parent, said the proposal appeared to bring additional resources to the district rather than remove them. Jessica Miranda, a business owner and former professional dancer, cited studies presented by the applicants and argued that integrating the arts into core instruction produces measurable gains in language, math and GPA. Brenda Earls, a longtime supporter, described the emotional stakes for students and families.

Board members then questioned the applicants in a public Q&A. District representatives and trustees noted the application had been reviewed using the district rubric by a 15‑member committee. Trustees pressed whether APA’s curriculum aligns with Cherokee County standards; applicants said they plan to use Core Knowledge (recently updated to support arts integration), that they addressed alignment issues in the application, and that they will provide professional development to integrate arts into core instruction.

Trustees asked how APA will serve students with disabilities, IEPs and multilingual learners. Hayyatt said the charter’s special‑education lead was absent for the meeting but that supports would be scaled according to enrollment and that after‑school tutoring — supported by a proposed $100,000 grant — would be available to students who are not on grade level.

On admissions, presenters said recruitment and application will follow standard charter practice and that a lottery will be required if applications exceed capacity. APA has stated an enrollment cap of 300 and told the board survey responses supporting interest in the school rose during the review (applicants discussed figures revised during the hearing from roughly 320 to about 327–329 respondents).

Board members pressed the fiscal mechanics, noting that state funding typically “follows the child.” Presenters acknowledged the district would lose funding for students who enroll at APA but said some funding returns to the authorizing district and that chartering could recapture students who might otherwise leave the county. During the discussion presenters cited a 2% recapture figure; district staff explained audited per‑pupil funding varies by year and that state formulas average multiple funding streams, so exact fiscal impacts require updated enrollment and audit data.

Trustees asked who will be accountable on day one to implement the model; presenters said the school will be led by a principal and described a planned leadership team and grant‑writing supports, but acknowledged the planning committee has not previously opened an independent charter school and cited prior experience with magnet programs, facility design and higher‑education administration as related experience. The applicants also described several facility‑funding strategies, including contact with an organization they called Building Hope for bridge financing, state appropriations requested from Representative Brian Lawson for buses and instruments, and grant assistance via a contact named Vance Hammond.

Other practical concerns raised by trustees included transportation (applicants said provision of buses will be estimated after final enrollment and that they have sought appropriations), staffing liabilities (whether district support would be required if the charter could not staff), and whether some program elements could instead be implemented within existing district schools. Applicants responded that many programs could be run by the district but argued a charter school structure was the best vehicle to integrate arts across the curriculum at scale.

On disciplinary policy, applicants said they adopted a code of conduct used in another county (Shelby/Cleveland County) and made limited adjustments; they characterized it as a proposal to be finalized by the APA board of directors.

No formal board vote on the charter application was recorded in the public portion. The chair called for a motion to adjourn the public portion of the meeting; Mr. Greer moved, Miss Shacker seconded, and the motion carried. The board stood adjourned.

What’s next: Trustees aired multiple follow‑up questions and asked for further detail on enrollment projections, concrete fiscal calculations tied to current audited per‑pupil dollars, transportation estimates and evidence of leadership experience opening an independent charter school. The transcript closes with the board adjourning the public comment portion without taking a formal vote.