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SB 10 Unofficial Problem Reporting Terminal

The Georgia Department of Education is empowered by law to oversee the implementation of the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Act. The DOE is in the process of providing online access to applications for participation in the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program. Participating schools must be registered with the state by June 30. After that, the DOE will provide a list of participating schools. No deadline has been set for student participation, although you should be in contact with your present school if you are planning on taking advantage of your wide range of choices.

SB 10 as passed requires that participating schools meet seven specific criteria (see below). Under the law, the DOE is required to approve applications of schools who meet those criteria.

(d) The creation of the program shall not be construed to expand the regulatory authority of the state, its officers, or any public school system to impose any additional regulation of nonpublic schools beyond those reasonably necessary to enforce the requirements of this article.

(f) The board shall approve a participating school´s application to enroll scholarship students if the school meets the eligibility requirements of this article and complies with board rules established pursuant to Code Section 20-2-2117. The board shall make available to local school systems and the public a list of participating schools.

In addition, SB 10 requires that participating schools are in the process of obtaining accreditation through one of the following:

 

• Georgia Accrediting Commission
• The Georgia Association of Christian Schools
• The Georgia Private School Accreditation Council
• The Association of Christian Schools International
• The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
• The New England Association of Schools and Colleges
• The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
• The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
• The Northwestern Association of Schools and Colleges
• The Western Association of Schools and Colleges
• The Alabama Independent School Association

The seven criteria specified by the law are listed here.

20-2-2115.

(a) To be eligible to enroll a scholarship student, a participating school shall:

(1) Have a physical location in Georgia where the scholarship students attend classes and have direct contact with the school´s teachers;

(2) Demonstrate fiscal soundness by having been in operation for one school year or by submitting a financial information report for the school that complies with uniform financial accounting standards established by the department and conducted by a certified public accountant. The report must confirm that the school desiring to participate is insured and the owner or owners have sufficient capital or credit to operate the school for the upcoming school year serving the number of students anticipated with expected revenues from tuition and other sources that may be reasonably expected. The report shall be limited in scope to those records that are necessary for the department to make a determination on fiscal soundness and to make payments to schools for scholarships;

(3) Comply with the antidiscrimination provisions of 42 U.S.C. Section 2000d;

(4) Comply with all health and safety laws or codes that apply to private schools;

(5) Comply with all provisions of Code Section 20-2-690 and any other state law applicable to private schools;

(6) Regularly report to the parent and the department on the student´s academic progress, including the results of pre-academic assessments and post-academic assessments given to the student, in accordance with department guidelines; and

(7) Employ or contract with teachers who hold a bachelor´s degree or higher degree or have at least three years of experience in education or health and annually provide to the parents the relevant credentials of the teachers who will be teaching their students.

(b) A home school operating under the provisions of Code Section 20-2-690 shall not be eligible to enroll scholarship students.

(c) Residential treatment facilities licensed or approved by the state shall not be eligible to enroll scholarship students.

(d) The creation of the program shall not be construed to expand the regulatory authority of the state, its officers, or any public school system to impose any additional regulation of nonpublic schools beyond those reasonably necessary to enforce the requirements of this article.

(e) A participating school intending to enroll scholarship students shall submit an application to the department by June 30 of the school year preceding the school year in which it intends to enroll scholarship students. The notice shall specify the grade levels and services that the school has available for students with disabilities who are participating in the scholarship program. A school intending to enroll scholarship students in the 2007-2008 school year shall submit an application no later than June 30, 2007.

(f) The board shall approve a participating school´s application to enroll scholarship students if the school meets the eligibility requirements of this article and complies with board rules established pursuant to Code Section 20-2-2117. The board shall make available to local school systems and the public a list of participating schools.

Item 5 above requires that private schools comply with Section 20-2-690.

 

20-2-690

(b) As used in this subpart, the term “private school” means an institution meeting the following criteria or requirements:

(1) The primary purpose of the institution is to provide education or, if the primary purpose of the institution is religious in nature, the institution shall provide the basic academic educational program specified in paragraph (4) of this subsection;

(2) The institution is privately controlled and operates on a continuing basis;

(3) The institution provides instruction each 12 months for the equivalent of 180 school days of education with each school day consisting of at least four and one-half school hours;

(4) The institution provides a basic academic educational program which includes, but is not limited to, reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science;

(5) Within 30 days after the beginning of each school year, it shall be the duty of the administrator of each private school to provide to the school superintendent of each local public school district which has residents enrolled in the private school a list of the name, age, and residence of each resident so enrolled. At the end of each school month, it shall be the duty of the administrator of each private school to notify the school superintendent of each local public school district of the name, age, and residence of each student residing in the public school district who enrolls or terminates enrollment at the private school during the immediately preceding school month. Such records shall indicate when attendance has been suspended and the grounds for such suspension. Enrollment records and reports shall not be used for any purpose except providing necessary enrollment information, except with the permission of the parent or guardian of a child, pursuant to the subpoena of a court of competent jurisdiction, or for verification of attendance by the Department of Public Safety for the purposes set forth in subsection (a.1) of Code Section 40-5-22; and

(6) Any building used by the institution for private school purposes meets all health and safety standards established under state law and local ordinances.

If you believe the department is not providing the proper clerical support or is obstructing the process, we are devoting a portion of this site as an unofficial problem reporting terminal. You may directly contact us or comment below. We will keep a public record to help keep the DOE on task.

 Posted on: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 at 2:27 pm
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