Special Needs Transfers- Senate Bill 10

General Information

Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program Transfer (Senate Bill 10)

As a provision of the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Act (GSNSA), parents or guardians of students with an existing Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan may choose to transfer their child to another public school in the Muscogee County School District (MCSD) or to a participating private school, subject to the below Eligibility Criteria.

Parents or guardians wishing to transfer their student with an existing IEP or Section 504 Plan to a private school under the GSNSA should visit the Georgia Department of Education’s website for a list of private schools and requirements for enrollment at http://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/Policy/Pages/Special-Needs-Scholarship-Program.aspx

Parents or guardians may request a transfer to another MCSD school under the GSNSA as long as there is available space at that school and the school has a program with the services agreed to in the student's existing Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan.

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Eligibility Criteria to participate in the GSNSA is as follows:

• A student have must a parent/guardian who currently lives in Georgia and has been a resident for at least one calendar year.
• A student was enrolled and completed the prior school year in a Georgia public school in grades kindergarten through twelfth.
• A student was reported as attending a Georgia public school by a school district(s) during mandatory student counts conducted in October and March. (Must have been reported for both FTE counts.)
• A student does need to have an active Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Section 504 Plan to qualify for the GSNS Act. A student with an active IEP must be reported by a school district(s) as a student receiving special education services during the October or March FTE count or in the final Student Record report at the end of the year.

Military families may be exempt from these eligibility requirements by completing the Application Form for Military Students located on the GaDOE Georgia Special Needs Scholarship website.

If the parent or guardian chooses to transfer their student to another public school, the parent or guardian is responsible for providing transportation.

Students and parents or guardians should be aware that school transfers may affect the student’s eligibility to participate in athletic and extracurricular activities, which are governed by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA). Parents should verify whether GHSA requirements may affect their child’s eligibility, before submitting a school transfer request.

For more information, please visit the GaDOE website at http://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/Policy/Pages/Special-Needs-Scholarship-Program.aspx

The GSNSP transfer application window for the 2024-2025 school year opens July 1, 2024. Please click the following links to access the MCSD School Transfer Request Form and Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program - SB10

Questions may be directed to the Division of the Program for Exceptional Students at 706-748-2230.