GARDEN GROVE Unified School District Board of Education in December voted down a proposal for the establishment of a charter school (Orange County Tribune photo).

A second try at getting approval to establish a charter school within the Garden Grove Unified School District goes before the Board of Education when it meets on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Achievers Global Academy is again asking the board’s endorsement to open such a school. Making the request is Virginia Carrillo, who has served as an assistant principal in the Santa Ana Unified School District.

In December 2018, the GGUSD board voted 4-0 – with member Terri Rocco absent – to reject a similar proposal from AGA.

What is a charter school? Generally speaking, they are publically funded operations which operate independently of the local education agency.  Advocates claim that charters can offer more innovative education and a broader curriculum, while opponents argue they can be anti-union and have limited accountability and oversight.

Charter schools do not charge tuition and cannot exclude students, so are generally not considered private schools.  In some parts of the United States, the creation of charter schools were offered as a “school choice” alternative to school voucher programs.

The board will meet at the district’s Education Center, 10331 Stanford Ave., Garden Grove. The GGUSD serves most of Garden Grove as well as portions of Anaheim, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Santa Ana, Stanton and Westminster.