Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (SB10)

Under a state law passed by the Georgia State Legislature in 2007, parents of students who receive special education services may request to transfer their child to another public or private school in Georgia provided that their child has an IEP and has been enrolled for a full academic year in a Georgia public school.

Parents who are interested in transferring their child to a private school in Georgia may be able to take advantage of a Georgia Special Needs Scholarship.  These scholarships provide funding that can be used to offset tuition costs at participating private schools in the state of Georgia.  For more information on the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship and the application process, please visit the Georgia Department of Education's website.

Parents may request a transfer to a school in district other than the one in which they reside if there is available space, and the system/school has the program with the services in the student’s existing individualized education program (IEP); however, the school district must agree to accept the student.  If the parent chooses this option and the school district accepts the child, then the parent shall be responsible for transportation to a school in that district.  If you are interested in your child attending a school in another system, please contact that system directly.

A parent may also request a transfer to one of the state schools for the deaf and/or blind operated by the State Board of Education. Acceptance into a state school will depend on whether the setting is appropriate for the student’s needs.  If the parent chooses this option, then the parent shall be responsible for transportation to the state school.  The Georgia Department of Education can be contacted for more information about transferring to a State School.

A parent can request for their child to transfer to another school in their district other than the one in which they are zoned if there is available space and the school has a program with the services that are in the student’s existing individualized education program (IEP). In addition, the specific program within the school must also have available space. If the parent chooses this option, then the parent shall be responsible for transportation.  Parents who wish to consider this option must submit a request to their local school district.

If you have questions, please contact Mike Kooi, mkooi@georgiacyber.org.