Hall County Schools officials approved a proposal Monday night for Spout Springs Elementary School to attempt to become the county's next charter school.

If approved by the Georgia Department of Education, the new program at Spout Springs will focus on enrichment, Principal Steve McDaniel said. It would be the second enrichment school in the county, after Sardis Enrichment School in northwest Hall County.

"We believe we must nurture creativity," McDaniel said.

He said a recent survey found that 1,500 CEOs agreed that the No. 1 leadership component of the future is creativity, but McDaniel said he believes that is diminishing in schools.

The Spout Springs program will include "enrichment clusters," which are groups of students of different ages who meet regularly to pursue common interests. The program emphasizes developing thinking skills and applying those skills creatively in real-world situations.

Some of the programs will include Kid Reports, in which children test new gadgets, and history explored through music.

McDaniel said the new model is meant to enhance, rather than replace, the regular curriculum.

About 97 percent of Spout Springs parents voted for the petition, McDaniel said.

Although the petition is ready, the process will take time. McDaniel expects to begin the program in fall 2011, and the elementary school will begin piloting the enrichment clusters this spring.

The school will be known as Spout Springs Elementary School of Enrichment.