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Your Neighborhood School
Your neighborhood school is your first option to consider. The school your district assigns your child to is generally determined by where you live. Your neighborhood school offers the advantage of proximity to your home, and a community of parents and students who reside near the school. You'll want to evaluate the school to make sure the academic program, size of the school and quality of education meet your child's needs before choosing this option.
School Transfers
Georgia is generally permissive of school transfer. You can appeal for transfer if your child's school performs poorly or if it is too far away. You can also request transfer from the state Board of Education. There are no guidelines regarding which cases the board will find valid. As long as you can make a compelling argument, you may be able to get a transfer.
One problem with the transfer law is that there is no provision for covering transportation costs. You must be able to arrange and pay for transportation to the school your child wishes to attend. This can be troublesome for many low-income or time-constrained families. See more in the article What You Should Know About School Transfers in Georgia.
The No Child Left Behind Law
Under the federal No Child Left Behind law, you may request to have your child transferred to another school in the same district if your child's current school is classified as "in need of improvement." If your child transfers, the district will pay for transportation costs up to a certain cap. However, not all requests can be granted because other schools in the district may not have the capacity to accept more students.
If none of your district's schools have the capacity to accept transfers, the law requires the district to try to form agreements with other districts to allow for transfers.
If your district is unable to immediately provide a transfer, if your transfer request is denied, or if you'd rather not transfer your child, you can still inquire at your school about tutoring, after-school programs, summer school and other programs to help improve your child's performance. Districts are required to provide these supplemental education services to your child if he attends a school that is "in need of improvement." For more information on the No Child Left Behind Act, see What the No Child Left Behind Law Means for Your Child.
Charter Schools
Charter schools are free and open to all students, but preference in admission is given to children of the same school district. Charter schools may admit students from other districts if there is room for them. Charter schools are essentially similar to public schools, but the leadership has more freedom to experiment. They control their own staffing, curriculum, organization and budget, but are still held accountable to the same standards as public schools.
With only 35 charter schools, Georgia is straggling behind most states in developing charters. Part of the reason for this is that until 1998, only existing public schools were allowed to become charter schools. Other statutes have been passed to facilitate the spread of charter schools since then, but Georgia has yet to catch up with many other states.
However, this is not to say that Georgia's charter schools are also lagging in performance. To the contrary, the Georgia Department of Education released a study that found that 93 percent of charter school students passed the state standardized tests in all five subjects, as compared to 85 percent for regular public school students. For more on Georgia charters, see Charter Schools Offer an Array of Choices
Magnet Schools
Magnets may exist as a separate school or a program within a school. Magnets provide another school choice option for Georgia students.
Georgia currently has 80 magnet schools, about 55 percent of which are K-8 with about 45 percent serving grades 9-12. The schools may screen applicants to make sure they are interested in the subject matter. If, after arriving at a list of eligible applicants, there are more applicants than available seats, the seats are allocated through a lottery. If, on the other hand, there are more seats available than applicants, students from other counties may be admitted. They may have to arrange for their own transportation and pay tuition. See information on magnet schools as well as a list of Georgia magnets at the Georgia Department of Education Web site.
Private Schools
Families of students pay tuition or, in some cases, students receive scholarships to attend private schools. The teachers, principal, board of directors, and sometimes parents and students decide upon the curriculum, teaching methodology and enrollment requirements. For more information on private schools see Private vs. Public Schools: What's the Difference?.
In Georgia, the state will not provide transportation or any state funds to a student of a private school. However, federal school aid, such as aid for children with disabilities or special needs, will be given to public and private schools alike.
Homeschooling
Parents may also teach their children at home instead of sending them to a public or private school. Georgia does not require parents to obtain teacher certification nor does it require homeschooled students to be tested. Georgia law requires only that homeschooled students be provided an education equivalent to the education they would get at public school. If the school board believes a student is not receiving an equivalent education, it may conduct truancy hearings to investigate.
Many communities have organizations that assist homeschooling families with curriculum and opportunities to meet other homeschoolers. For more information on homeschooling, see Homeschooling: Key Facts and Resources. Learn more about Georgia's homeschooling laws from the Georgia Home Education Association.
Updated October 2006
