Wesleyan College announces plans for new charter school

Wesleyan College is moving to open a charter school on its campus which, if approved, would open up in fall 2026.

Wesleyan sent a letter of intent to the Bibb County School District, which will get the ball rolling for the review process. The board will then vote on the proposal for a new charter school in mid-July.

If Bibb County Schools denies Wesleyan’s application, the college could go to the state charter schools commission for approval, which would mean the school would be funded by state tax dollars and managed by a nonprofit board.

The Wesleyan Academy would serve boys and girls of all grade levels and maintain “dedicated spaces” for high school and college students, according to the academy’s new website.

“We know that exposing students to college from an early age eases the transition and prepares them for future success. Building these educational opportunities in our city will help to build our local workforce and strengthen our economy here in Macon-Bibb,” President of Wesleyan College Meaghan Blight said. 

The Melody reached out to Bibb County Schools for a copy of the application and a comment, but neither were available by press time. The Bibb board of education meets Thursday evening.

Charter schools are public schools that are not governed by the school board. The schools are contracted by the local school district or through the state charter commission and collect local taxes.

Opponents of charter schools have raised concerns about the academic success of charter schools, financial performance and lack of diversity.

Macon currently has two state charter schools, the Cirrus Academy for the Arts and the Academy for Classical Education.

The proposal for Wesleyan Academy comes at the heels of discussions about Bibb County school closures.

The school board also mulled a proposal for the Infinity Academy, a charter school set in downtown Macon, earlier this year. Ultimately, the charter school withdrew its petition in October.