Public School Options
Your neighborhood public school is not the only option you have of educating your child in the public school system. Georgia public schools also offer parents many options in an effort to educate children according to their unique needs.
Alternatives to traditional public school include:
Public Charter Schools
A public charter school is a public school that operates according to the terms of a charter, or contract, that has been approved by a local board of education and the State Board of Education. A charter may also be approved by the state Charter School Commission. The charter school may request waivers from provisions of Title 20 of Georgia state law and any state or local rule, regulation, policy, or procedure relating to schools in the school district. In exchange for this flexibility, the charter school is bound by contract to be held accountable for meeting the performance-based objectives specified in the charter.
Learn more about charter schools from the Georgia Department of Education.
Additionally, the Georgia Charter School Association (GCSA) is a valuable resource for both parents and those seeking to start a charter school.
Magnet Programs A magnet program is a specialized curriculum that allows academically qualified students to deeply study specific academic disciplines. Magnet schools are public schools that operate under the rules of the State of Georgia and a local school board, however they may set academic admission policies in an effort to attract the best and brightest students to the program. Many programs are operated in conjunction with traditional public schools although there are a few instances of entire schools operating as a magnet program.
Click here to learn more about magnet programs from the Georgia Department of Education.
Joint Enrollment Programs Joint Enrollment programs allow high school students to take courses at a state public or private post-secondary institution while still enrolled as a high school student and receive credit at only the post-secondary institution. To participate, a student must be accepted to a post-secondary institution and enroll in courses approved by the Georgia Department of Education.
Joint Enrollment programs are funded through lottery funds in the form of the HOPE Grant. Students must meet all HOPE Grant requirements. The student or student’s parent/guardian is responsible for all costs if HOPE Grant eligibility is not met.
To learn more about Joint Enrollment programs, please speak with your student's guidance counselor.
For more information on the HOPE Grant, click here
Dual Enrollment Programs
Dual Enrollment programs allow high school students to take courses at a state public or private post-secondary institution while still enrolled as a high school student and receive credit both at the post-secondary institution and high school. To participate, a student must be accepted to a post-secondary institution and enroll in courses approved by the Georgia Department of Education.
Dual Enrollment programs are funded by lottery funds through the ACCEL program. To be eligible to receive an ACCEL grant, a student must:
- Be classified as a high school junior or senior pursuing a high school diploma from an eligible Georgia public or private high school;
- Be enrolled in an eligible Georgia public or private college/university or public technical college as a dual credit student taking approved college degree-level coursework;
- Be a legal resident of Georgia;
- Be a U.S. citizen or national of the U.S. or have evidence from INS of eligible permanent resident alien status;
- Be in compliance with Selective Service registration requirements;
- Be in compliance with the Georgia Drug-Free Postsecondary Education Act of 1990;
- Not be in default or owe a refund on a student financial aid program;
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the college.
If requirements of the ACCEL program are not met and a student wishes to pursue dual enrollment, the student or student’s parent/guardian is responsible for all costs.
For more information on Dual Enrollment opportunities, please contact your student's guidance counselor.
Click here for more information on the ACCEL program.
Virtual Education
The Georgia Virtual School offers students the opportunity to take courses online for middle and high school credits. All courses are taught by highly certified public school teachers and require similar commitments in time as attending courses at a traditional "brick and mortar" school would.
All public, private, and homeschool students are eligible to take courses through the Georgia Virtual School, and students must petition their local school officials to participate. For those who use these courses as part of their state-funded school day schedule, there is no cost. Students are limited to taking up to 1.0 Carnegie units per school year as part of their required state-funded school day. Those with medical, alternative education, or residential treatment needs may petition to take their entire state-required school schedule online through the Georgia Virtual School
Supplemental courses can be taken by students wishing to get ahead in their studies or by those who wish to catch up if they have fallen behind. The cost is $300 for 0.5 Carnegie unit courses and $600 for 1.0 Carnegie unit courses.
The Georgia Virtual School is offered by the Georgia Department of Education's Office of Technology Services. It is not associated with Georgia Virtual Academy, which is a public charter school operated as part of Odyssey School. For more information on the Georgia Virtual Academy, click here.
Not sure if your student's needs are compatible with a virtual school?
Click here to take a survey that will assess your child's readiness for an online education.
For more information on the Georgia Virtual School, including registration and course offerings, click here.