Meet the new face of Cirrus Academy, a Macon charter with the ‘heart of perseverance.’

When Barry Williams accepted the opportunity to lead the Cirrus Academy Charter School in Macon, he was well aware of the challenges that lay ahead.

Prior to his arrival, the tuition-free K-8 school had endured a turbulent year, marked by a two-year probationary period from the State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia and the abrupt removal of its former head of school just two weeks before the 2024-2025 academic year began.

“I read the tabloids. I read what was in the community before coming here,” Williams said, reflecting on the school’s past challenges and the tension that persisted among the school’s stakeholders during the leadership transition. “So, my job was to get us focused and get us to a place where we have a little bit more clarity and make people feel at ease.”

In 2023, the Charter Schools Commission identified Cirrus as having “significant deficiencies related specifically to federal program compliance and employing proper governance oversight,” according to the commission’s renewal recommendation document for fiscal year 2024.

Despite facing past scrutiny from the commission for failure to meet academic and financial standards, Cirrus Academy’s contract was renewed until 2027.

Williams previously served as head of schools at the Atlanta Unbound Academy. He was named the new head of Cirrus Academy in September after a brief tenure as interim head.

In his new role, Williams emphasized a collaborative approach with other Cirrus leaders to focus on student success while also rebuilding community trust through stakeholder engagement.

This includes hosting community events on campus, forming strategic partnerships with local entities and increasing the school’s social media presence.

“We have made some tremendous progress in a short amount of time together,” Williams said. “We have seen about a 13% increase in enrollment, starting off at about 400 and now at about 450 students. We have also seen a net profit of about $785,000 so far for the year, and we have seen growth as it relates to academics.”

Cirrus Academy’s first grade students also had a nearly 100% attendance rate, as reported by Williams in October during a governing board meeting.

Williams noted that the charter school has been removed from the Needs of Improvement List and the High Financial Monitoring List. He said school leaders will ensure to file all compliance records on time.

Diane Freeman, director of compliance and specialized learning, said Cirrus is working to implement PCGenesis, a software recommended by the Georgia Department of Education to maintain financial records.

“So far, we are meeting those requirements in areas (the commission) saw that we need to improve in,” Freeman said.

Determined to maintain momentum, Williams laid out plans that include enhancing academic programs, improving operational transparency and fostering a culture of accountability. He credited the school governing board’s newfound efficiency, noting that meetings have become shorter due to increased transparency.

Cirrus Academy is preparing to launch a $5 million campaign aimed at enhancing teacher development that will fill academic gaps, increasing teacher pay, expanding on-campus facilities and improving its bus transportation system, he added.

Looking ahead, Williams said he envisions a future where academic excellence, financial stability and student exposure extend beyond the classroom are maintained.

Williams said the school still has some headway to make, but he praised the collective expertise of Cirrus leadership, as well as the teachers’ dedication to push ahead despite challenges.

“I just think that (Cirrus) is just a special place, and it has a heart of perseverance, and it’s done so well,” Williams said. “Even through the chaos, this organization still survived. It was still able to have academic success, and it was still able to get accredited. I feel like we are heading in the right direction.”