Exodus Institute is moving forward with its plan to open a charter school in Petersburg.
The Chesterfield County-based organization submitted its application for a public charter school to the Virginia Department of Education last week with the hope of opening the new school by August 2012.
Corey Carter, the founder and chief executive officer of Exodus Institute, said its overarching goal is to become a hub for educational and career-development resources in Petersburg for families.
This is the second application submitted by the group; the first was sent to the education department for review in September 2009. Carter said Exodus used the board's feedback to refine its current application.
Charter schools are public schools of choice with a smaller enrollment and a specialized curriculum. There are four charter schools in Virginia, including the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts in Richmond.
Charles B. Pyle, a spokesman for the state Department of Education, said an electronic copy and hard copies of Exodus Institute's application were received.
The state has changed the way charter school applications are handled, sending them to the Virginia Board of Education before local authorities.
Once the Board of Education reviews an application and determines whether it meets its criteria, the application goes before the local school board, which approves or denies the request.
If an applicant is denied, it can seek technical assistance from the state board before reapplying with the local board. Final approval rests with the local school board.
Clifford Davis, a spokesman for the Petersburg school system, said the system will not comment on charter schools.
Right now, Exodus Institute has no building for the school, a problem Carter is trying to remedy.
"No deal has been made just yet, but I have different choices of properties in Petersburg," he said. "My goal is to purchase a building and do renovations."
He said he is aggressively pursuing four different grants to help get the initiative off the ground. The school has a proposed budget of $2.6 million in expenditures for 2012-13.
In the application, Exodus Institute states it will begin with a target of 288 students in grades K-3 and add a grade level each year through 12th grade for a total school population of 576 students, about 14 percent of the pupils in the Petersburg system.
Student achievement benchmarks are aggressive, to include a 95 percent graduation rate and 90 percent attendance in a two- or four-year college, university, trade school or have the tools necessary start a business.
The charter school's curriculum would focus on global business and technology along with the core subjects of the education department. Students would be selected through a lottery process.
Exodus Institute, if approved, would offer a year-round schedule, and students would be in school from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the option to attend an after-school program that lasts an additional 135 minutes.
In the application, Exodus officials write that the school is dedicated to serving the Petersburg students, "who currently do not have options for attaining an education that will secure a life of stability and financial independence."
Petersburg School Board Chairman Kenneth L. Pritchett pointed out that there are people with advanced degrees who are struggling to secure a life of stability and financial independence in the current economy.
He said Exodus Institute is stating facts that are not guaranteed by any school system in the country.
"Our superintendent (Alvera J. Parrish) and her staff members are taking the appropriate steps to ensure the children in Petersburg City Public Schools are prepared after high school and have the resources available in their community to ensure they are on the right track to be able to make the best decisions for their families when life becomes difficult," he said.
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