DREW CHARTER SCHOOL GETS FIVE-YEAR RENEWAL OF ITS CHARTER

ATLANTA (January 18, 2005) – Charles R. Drew Charter School, the city of Atlanta's first charter school, has received approval by the state Board of Education to renew its school charter for another five years. The Atlanta Board of Education approved the charter unanimously in November 2004.

Local and state approval are required since charter public schools operate with public money and are held accountable for reaching certain academic targets.

Drew Charter School opened in August 2000 with 240 children in grades K-5 and now serves 770 students in grades K-8 in Atlanta 's East Lake neighborhood. The charter school is the centerpiece of a mixed-income community which includes a public golf course that offers golf instruction and mentoring for youth, a YMCA, a child development center and extensive programs that help children and their families become successful.