. >> reporter: sandra lawson, whose children were in a low performing school was hoping they'd win at in the charter lottery and she believes she never stood a chance. are you suggesting there might have been some deliberate effort to prevent your children from attending that school? >> or children like my children, african-american children. >> reporter: lake oconee academy told nbc the school is public, free, and open to all students in the county, but the facts show 73% of the student body is white, while, for example, just 14% of students are white at the district's traditional public high school. >> so this is a public school, ing public funding, but by its ry design, would not serve most of this community. >> reporter: this is the original design. when the academy was founded, 80% of the seats were allocated for this section of the county, mainly the gated communities with wealthy residents by the lake. georgia's one of these states where a charter school can essentially take a map and draw where they want to serve. >> reporter: three years ago, the zoning was eliminated, but p

. >> reporter: sandra lawson, whose children were in a low-performing school, was hoping they'd win ain the charter lottery. but they didn't, and she believes they never stood a chance. are you suggesting there might have been deliberate effort to prevent your children from attending that school? >> or children like my africaor heto school is public, free, and open to all students in the county. but the facts show student body is white. while, for example, 14% of students are white at the district's traditional public high school. >> this is a public school using public funding. but by its very design, would not s most of this community. >> reporter: this is the original design. when the academy was founded, 80% of the seats were allocated for this section of the county. mainly the gated communities with wealthy residents by the lake. >> georgia's one of these states where a charter school can take a knife and draw where they want to serve. >> reporter: three years ago, the zoning was eliminated. but priority is still given to kids with siblings at the school, and children of faculty,

sandra lawson has given up try igto get her children into the academy. >> hopefully for the next familyes on they are truly given at opity. >> reporter: rather than see the spirit of crthaer schools violated she says by giving advantages toids who already have a wealth of them. rehema ellis, nbcnews, greensboro, georgia. >>> let's switch gears and jump to mosw today. huge upset at the world cup as mexico defeated the defending champions germany. the score was 1-0. mexico pulling it off with a single goal in the first half, and great defense in thesecond. and there were shock waves literally in mexico city at nearly the same timehe one mexico goal was scored, sensors detected a mini earthquake. the mexican geologi l service says possibly set off by so many fans jumping in the air all at one time in mexico city. >>> still ahead tonight, nasa ecognizes the america astronaut who spent the most time up in space. >>> also, pop culture's power couple releasing a surprise joint album. ♪ jumping off the stage ♪ jumping off the stage >> the secret they someh us. ♪ jumping off the stage >> the sec