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Is an Imagine School a good fit in my Community?
Are you wondering if an Imagine charter school might be right for your Georgia community? The purpose
of this document is to help potential Imagine partners understand how we approach development of a
new school and what roles are typical for the various people involved in bringing a new school to life.
Generally, the process starts when a parent, group of parents or a community leader (pioneers) become
interested in the potential to create a charter school and someone contacts Imagine with interest.
Imagine regional people will talk with the pioneers, discuss our philosophy and principles and see if it
appears there is a fit. Imagine seeks to work in communities where families want public, tuition free
educational choice and where there is little or no such educational choice available for families who lack
the financial resources for private or parochial school. All students are welcome at an Imagine school, but
we have a particular interest in providing a choice to those who otherwise would not have one.
If after discussions together we determine that there is good potential for a fit, we move to the next step,
during which Imagine conducts a preliminary assessment of the feasibility for a school in this community
including:
In parallel, a Board of Governors (BOG) is formed. This committee is made up of 3 community people
concerned about educational choice in the community and who see themselves as aligned with Imagine’
s philosophy and approach to school creation and operation and 2 Imagine Representatives.
Sometimes the core of the BOG will be one or more of the pioneers, but members are typically not
parents of prospective students. While this may sound strange, we have found that it is often difficult for
parents to separate their role as a parent to their own children from the important obligation of Board of
Governors members, who are responsible for representing the interests of all stakeholders: prospective
parents and children, the authorizer; Imagine school staff; the larger community. . They must make the
long term sustainability and success of the whole school their highest priority.
At this point, Imagine and the BOG will work together and the BOG will assist with the following tasks as
directed by Imagine.
Imagine Schools intends to operate the charter schools we start for as long as the schools exist.
Imagine will be responsible for overall development of the school including establishing the corporate
entity (which will be a Georgia Limited Liability Company or LLC), the governance plan (including initiating
formation of the Board of Governors for the school), preparation and approval of the charter, selection and
purchase of real estate/buildings, staffing, curriculum selection, and all other elements associated with
opening and operating the school.
We look forward to talking further if you feel we might be a good fit in your community. We have been
overwhelmed, enthused and humbled with the level of interest parents and community leaders have
expressed interest in partnering with Imagine Schools in Georgia. Regrettably, we are unable to pursue
all of these possibilities right away as we are cognizant of the importance of quality in the work that we do.
We know there are a number of other charter school companies who differ from us and offer a totally
different approach. We recommend you research these as we may not be your ideal partner. In addition,
we strongly recommend that you read our founder, Dennis Bakke’s book Joy at Work which describes our
company’s ethos and values. You can email us at kelly.campbell@imagineschools.com to send you a
free copy. You can reach our Georgia office by calling 678-391-7710 or by emailing us .You can also
learn more about Imagine Schools at www.imagineschools.com and the Georgia region at
www.imaginegeorgia.com.
of this document is to help potential Imagine partners understand how we approach development of a
new school and what roles are typical for the various people involved in bringing a new school to life.
Generally, the process starts when a parent, group of parents or a community leader (pioneers) become
interested in the potential to create a charter school and someone contacts Imagine with interest.
Imagine regional people will talk with the pioneers, discuss our philosophy and principles and see if it
appears there is a fit. Imagine seeks to work in communities where families want public, tuition free
educational choice and where there is little or no such educational choice available for families who lack
the financial resources for private or parochial school. All students are welcome at an Imagine school, but
we have a particular interest in providing a choice to those who otherwise would not have one.
If after discussions together we determine that there is good potential for a fit, we move to the next step,
during which Imagine conducts a preliminary assessment of the feasibility for a school in this community
including:
- an economic evaluation (taking into account per pupil reimbursement rates from the school
district, real estate costs, enrollment potential, local staff salaries, etc) - a review of local school board policies and processes associated with review and approval of
charter school applications - an assessment of local school board receptivity (who must approve charter issuance)
- establishment of a target opening year based on the above factors
In parallel, a Board of Governors (BOG) is formed. This committee is made up of 3 community people
concerned about educational choice in the community and who see themselves as aligned with Imagine’
s philosophy and approach to school creation and operation and 2 Imagine Representatives.
Sometimes the core of the BOG will be one or more of the pioneers, but members are typically not
parents of prospective students. While this may sound strange, we have found that it is often difficult for
parents to separate their role as a parent to their own children from the important obligation of Board of
Governors members, who are responsible for representing the interests of all stakeholders: prospective
parents and children, the authorizer; Imagine school staff; the larger community. . They must make the
long term sustainability and success of the whole school their highest priority.
At this point, Imagine and the BOG will work together and the BOG will assist with the following tasks as
directed by Imagine.
- Charter Support: An important element in charter applications is the inclusion of letters of support
from community members, including parents, leaders and organizations (e.g. Chamber of
Commerce). When local school boards are deciding whether to approve a charter application, they
want to see evidence of strong public support. The BOG and the community is responsible for
requesting and collecting these letters. - Generate Community Interest: Imagine, working with the BOG, will schedule, publicize, organize
and conduct information sessions for members of the community. The objective is to inform
people, get them excited about the possibility and for Imagine to determine if there is enough
community interest for the school to attract adequate enrollment. - Marketing: Imagine will take the lead in preparing marketing and advertising materials for the
school but will call on members of the BOG and the community to support where needed.
Imagine Schools intends to operate the charter schools we start for as long as the schools exist.
Imagine will be responsible for overall development of the school including establishing the corporate
entity (which will be a Georgia Limited Liability Company or LLC), the governance plan (including initiating
formation of the Board of Governors for the school), preparation and approval of the charter, selection and
purchase of real estate/buildings, staffing, curriculum selection, and all other elements associated with
opening and operating the school.
We look forward to talking further if you feel we might be a good fit in your community. We have been
overwhelmed, enthused and humbled with the level of interest parents and community leaders have
expressed interest in partnering with Imagine Schools in Georgia. Regrettably, we are unable to pursue
all of these possibilities right away as we are cognizant of the importance of quality in the work that we do.
We know there are a number of other charter school companies who differ from us and offer a totally
different approach. We recommend you research these as we may not be your ideal partner. In addition,
we strongly recommend that you read our founder, Dennis Bakke’s book Joy at Work which describes our
company’s ethos and values. You can email us at kelly.campbell@imagineschools.com to send you a
free copy. You can reach our Georgia office by calling 678-391-7710 or by emailing us .You can also
learn more about Imagine Schools at www.imagineschools.com and the Georgia region at
www.imaginegeorgia.com.
