A Florida company that was denied a request to open a charter school in Cherokee County is not giving up on its supporters.

The petition by Charter Schools to open a kindergarten- through eighth-grade school in the Holly Springs area was denied on Monday by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission. The commission considered 28 petitions, but approved only seven.

Richard Page, vice president of operations for Charter Schools USA, said he was "disappointed" in the Cherokee ruling, but was glad the company was approved to open a school in Coweta County.

The Cherokee petition, he said, was identical to the Coweta petition.

The only concern Page said the commission had about its Cherokee petition was the lack of "organic community support" for the school.

The commission had other concerns about the company's petition, according to its sum-mary of findings report.

The concerns were related to issues including the company's projections to enroll 860 kindergarten-through-eighth-graders and how it would ensure the needs of students with disabilities and limited English proficiencies were addressed.

The petition, filed by the Georgia Charter Education Foundation on behalf of the Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based company, was unanimously denied by the Cherokee County school board in July.

Charter school companies, if denied by a local school board, can apply to the state commission for approval. Proposals must receive approval from either the local board or the commission as charter schools are funded by tax dollars.

The board cited concerns with the company's education services for students with disabilities, English language learners, the broad definition of character education in the curriculum and lack of specifics in regards to how its curriculum would differ from the school district.

Mike McGowan, district director of public information, communications and partnerships, said the commission's denial was "reassuring."

"I'm glad to know that the commission that's theoretically independent cited the same reasons for denying the petition," he said.

The company can re-submit a petition to the commission next year, said Matt Cardoza, director of communications with the state Department of Education. The submittal deadline is Aug. 1, 2010.

Page said he would talk with supporters in Cherokee to determine if there is enough community support to submit another application to the commission.

"There has to be strong community support for the petition to move forward," he said.

Page added he would like to see more "ground-level" support, such as more people making calls to their neighbors and attending school board meetings as well as more community, business and elected leaders standing behind the petition.

Larry Blase, a supporter who lives in Bradshaw Farm, said he is "definitely disappointed" in the denial.

Blase, who has two young children who aren't yet in public school, said he was especially disappointed with the lack of community support to open the school.

The company, he said, could have done a better job with publicizing its efforts and ex-plaining the concept of charter schools to prospective parents.

Blase said he would support the petition if it's resubmitted to the commission again.

"I would like to see it as an option for parents," he said.