In 1992, Governor Zell Miller, a Democrat, proposed an education reform package with a charter school initiative. A year later, he signed a bill creating a Council for School Performance, and another creating charter schools. The council is tasked with evaluating and publishing reports on the progress of Georgia's schools. The bill provides for an unspecified number of charter schools that would operate under renewable three-year contracts with the local school system and the State Board of Education. Only existing public schools are eligible to apply for a charter.
Charter schools are free from state and local rules and regulations.
Nevertheless, the state's charter schools currently have less than 30 percent participation by parents on their governing boards, a serious matter that is to be addressed in the upcoming legislative session. In 1995, Governor Miller signed an amendment to simplify the restrictions on forming and renewing a charter by changing the teacher support requirement from a two-thirds vote to a simple majority. In addition, the charter school law was amended to extend the period of the charter from three to five years. Currently, there is no limit on the number of charter schools that can be formed within the state or district. The law allows only existing public schools to convert to charter schools and forbids open enrollment.