State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia

What State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia does

The State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia (SCSC) is a state government agency established in 2012 that serves as Georgia's sole state-level independent charter school authorizer. It holds statutory authority to approve or deny petitions for state charter schools and to renew, non-renew, or terminate state charters. The SCSC oversees a portfolio of 50 state charter schools (48 brick-and-mortar and 2 virtual) operating as independent Local Education Agencies, with each school held accountable through the Comprehensive Performance Framework across academic, financial, and operational dimensions. The agency charges no authorization fees; instead, it is funded through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and receives federal pass-through funding through the U.S. Department of Education's Charter Schools Program State Entity grant (which awarded the SCSC $12.5 million in supplemental funds, to be distributed as subgrants of up to $2 million per school).

The SCSC's core technology stack is administrative rather than proprietary: it uses Epicenter for charter renewal applications and data management, and BoardOnTrack for public board meeting portals. Its go-to-market motion is a petition-based regulatory process in which prospective operators submit Letters of Intent and applications through an online portal; the commission then evaluates petitions and conducts ongoing oversight. The agency also operates the Office of Charter School Compliance (OCSC), which supports locally-approved charter schools and evaluates local school district authorizers against Georgia's charter authorizing standards. The SCSC communicates with stakeholders through its scsc.georgia.gov website, Find a GaCharter.org school locator, monthly newsletters, press releases, and social media channels. In February 2025, the Board renewed 14 state charter schools, and the same year the organization received its third consecutive Exemplary rating from the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA).

Name

State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia

Legal name

State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia

Website

https://scsc.georgia.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia (SCSC) is Georgia's state-level independent charter school authorizer, overseeing 50 state charter schools through petition review, accountability monitoring, and federal/state funding distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charter School Authorization and Education Regulatory Services

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Authorizers & Oversight Boards (EDADABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Regulatory Authorities & Commissions (Cross-Sector) (EDADAAAD), Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)

Keywords

• Charter school authorization
• Education regulatory services
• Charter school oversight
• Public education funding
• Charter school compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State Charter School Supplement Funding: State charter schools receive Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula funding calculated using the state funding formula. The Georgia General Assembly appropriates additional 'State Charter Supplement' funding. No local tax money flows to state charter schools.
2. Federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grants: The SCSC receives federal CSP State Entity (SE) grants from the U.S. Department of Education ($12.5 million in supplemental funds) and distributes subgrants to eligible charter schools. Subgrants can reach up to $2 million per school for planning, launching, and expanding programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia (SCSC) is Georgia's state-level independent charter school authorizer. It reviews and approves or denies petitions for state charter schools, renews, non-renews, or terminates state charter contracts, and conducts ongoing accountability monitoring of authorized schools through its Comprehensive Performance Framework. It also administers federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) subgrants and operates the Office of Charter School Compliance (OCSC) to support locally-approved charter schools and evaluate local district authorizers.

Product overview

The State Charter Schools Commission (SCSC) of Georgia is a state government agency that serves as Georgia's state-level independent charter school authorizer. Rather than offering commercial products, the SCSC provides regulatory and support services including: charter school authorization and petition review; school accountability and renewal processes; academic, financial, and operational monitoring of authorized schools; compliance oversight; guidance document development; research and evaluation reporting; and stakeholder communication through newsletters and public meetings. The Office of Charter School Compliance (OCSC), a division of SCSC, provides additional support functions for locally-approved charter schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• State Charter School Authorization Statutory authorization service for state charter schools in Georgia, including petition review, approvals/denials, and ongoing oversight of charter contracts. Provided to charter school petitioners and authorized charter schools operating as independent Local Education Agencies.
• Comprehensive Performance Framework (CPF) Accountability framework used by the SCSC to conduct academic, financial, and operational performance reviews of authorized state charter schools. Used to inform renewal decisions and ongoing oversight.
• Office of Charter School Compliance (OCSC) Division of the SCSC that provides support, guidance, and resources for locally-approved charter schools, reviews local start-up petitions, and evaluates local district authorizers on charter authorizing practices. Provided to Georgia local school districts and locally-approved charter schools.
• Federal CSP State Entity (SE) Subgrant Program Federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) State Entity subgrant program administered by the SCSC for eligible state charter schools. Subgrants of up to $2 million per school support planning, launching, and expanding charter school programs.
• Find a GaCharter.org School Locator Online charter school locator service that helps Georgia families find and learn about charter school options statewide.
• Charter School Petition Review and Application Process Annual petition evaluation process operated through the SCSC online portal (scsc.edlusion.com) for new charter school petitions, with structured deadlines for Letters of Intent and applications, supported by published evaluation rubrics.
• Charter School Renewal Process Multi-year renewal process for authorized state charter schools, including standard five-year, conditional five-year, and three-year renewal outcomes, used to determine continued operation of authorized charter schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% graduation rate for state charter schools in 2025, exceeding state average of 87% for fifth consecutive year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025NACSA serves as the third-party evaluator for all Georgia charter school authorizers, conducting annual evaluations based on the Georgia Principles and Standards for Charter School Authorizing. NACSA awarded SCSC its highest rating of Exemplary for three consecutive years (2023-2025).
• Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCSC works with GaDOE on charter school accountability including the Georgia Milestones Assessment System and CCRPI scores. Joint standards development for charter authorizing practices.
• Office of Charter School Compliance (OCSC)coreTechnology or IntegrationOCSC is a division of SCSC that provides support to locally-approved charter schools and evaluates local district authorizers. The relationship is internal to the SCSC structure.
• State Charter Schools Foundation of GeorgiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit foundation that supports the mission of the SCSC. Listed as a related organization on the SCSC website.
• Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCSC Chair Cayanna Good, Ph.D. serves as Deputy Commissioner for Innovation and Impact at TCSG. Partnership supports adult education and workforce alignment initiatives.
• Governor Brian P. Kemp's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernor appoints SCSC commissioners. Joint statement on education priorities including Scott Sweeney's appointment and passing. Partnership on education policy initiatives.
• Georgia State Board of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState Board votes on OCSC recommendations for locally-approved charter renewals. Joint governance of charter school authorization in Georgia.
• Vanderbilt University's Peabody CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned research on best practices for starting charter schools. Report 'Starting Strong: Best Practices in Starting a Charter School' published September 2014.
• Georgia State University's Center for State and Local FinanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned economic impact analysis of Georgia's start-up charter schools. Produced four separate research reports on charter school effects on communities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tennessee Charter School Commission: Tennessee's state-level independent charter school authorizer with authority to approve, renew, and terminate charter schools. Highly comparable as another Southern state charter authorizer with similar regulatory scope and accountability duties.
• South Carolina Public Charter School District: State-level charter school authorizer in South Carolina that sponsors and oversees charter schools statewide. Comparable as a fellow Southeastern state authorizer with portfolio oversight and accountability functions.
• Indiana Charter School Board: Independent state charter school authorizer in Indiana with authority to approve and renew charter schools. Directly comparable as a state-level authorizer with similar petition review and renewal functions.
• Colorado Charter School Institute: Colorado's state charter school authorizer that directly authorizes charter schools across the state. Comparable in serving as an independent state-level authorizer with portfolio oversight and accountability responsibilities.
• SUNY Charter Schools Committee: The State University of New York serves as a charter school authorizer in New York through its Charter Schools Committee. Comparable as a large, well-established state-level authorizer with rigorous accountability practices.

Broad incumbents

• Georgia Department of Education: The state agency that oversees K-12 public education in Georgia, including traditional school districts. Highly relevant as SCSC's primary government partner with overlapping accountability and assessment responsibilities via CCRPI and Milestones.
• National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA): The national nonprofit that sets quality standards for charter authorizing and currently evaluates SCSC. It is the umbrella organization and standards body for all charter authorizers, including the SCSC.
• Michigan Department of Education - Office of Charter Schools: State education agency that authorizes and oversees charter schools in Michigan. Comparable as a state-level body exercising charter authorization and oversight, though housed within a broader education department.
• Texas Education Agency - Charter School Authorizing: The Texas state education agency that authorizes charter schools and sets accountability standards. Comparable as a large state-level authorizer with significant portfolio size and rigorous accountability frameworks.

Others

• State Charter Schools Foundation of Georgia: The affiliated nonprofit foundation that supports SCSC's mission through research, advocacy, and fundraising. Directly adjacent as the SCSC's primary nonprofit partner and supporting entity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SCSCGa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCFasF11mmvazQB6abZbNyKg
• Facebookfacebook.com/SCSCofGa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/state-charter-schools-commission-of-georgia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia