Student Residency Protocol

Residency Attendance Zone

The residency attendance zone for Georgia Cyber Academy (GCA) is limited to students who legally reside within the State of Georgia, United States of America.

Residency Requirement

Georgia Cyber Academy (GCA) is a Georgia public charter school operating pursuant to Georgia law and its charter contract. In accordance with state law and school policy, all enrolled students must be legal residents of the State of Georgia and must continuously maintain Georgia residency for the duration of their enrollment.

Residency must be bona fide and primary in nature. Enrollment at GCA is contingent upon maintaining legal domicile and physical residence within the State of Georgia.

To be classified as a resident, a student must:

• Reside with their parent, legal custodian, or court-appointed legal guardian within the State of Georgia;
• Be legally domiciled at the Georgia address provided on the enrollment application;
• Be physically present and routinely sleep overnight at that address on school days;
• Physically resides in the State of Georgia for all or most of the school year.

Residency is not determined by:

• A mailing address only;
• Temporary stays in Georgia;
• Ownership of property in Georgia;
• Intent to return to Georgia at a later date;
• Maintaining belongings at a Georgia address while living elsewhere.

The student must be actively and primarily living in Georgia while enrolled at GCA.

Definition of a Resident

For purposes of enrollment at GCA, a resident is defined as a student whose parent, legal custodian, or court-appointed legal guardian is legally domiciled in the State of Georgia and with whom the student primarily resides.

A person who owns property in Georgia but does not physically reside in Georgia is not considered a resident for purposes of enrollment.

Residency is determined by legal domicile and primary physical presence, not by property ownership, mailing address, or future intent.

Out of State Attendance

Students are not permitted to attend GCA while residing outside of the State of Georgia. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Living with relatives or friends in another state;
• Extended stays outside of Georgia that constitute a change in residence;
• Relocation out of state for family, work, or personal reasons;
• Enrollment at GCA while primarily living in another state under shared custody arrangements.

If a student relocates outside of Georgia during the school year, the parent/guardian must notify the school immediately. Continued enrollment will be reviewed and may result in administrative withdrawal.

Failure to notify the school of a change in residency may be considered misrepresentation of enrollment information.

Temporary Absences from Georgia Residence

Short-term, temporary absences from the State of Georgia (such as medical emergencies, hospitalization, funeral attendance, court obligations, or other unforeseen circumstances) may be permitted. Permissions considerations:

• The student maintains their physical legal residence in Georgia within a month of notice;
• The absence is brief and does not constitute a change of domicile;
• The student returns to their Georgia residence promptly or by the given date of the District Registrar; and
• The absence is reviewed and approved by the District Registrar in advance when possible.

The school reserves the right to request documentation regarding the nature and duration of the absence, including travel documentation or confirmation of the anticipated return date.

Notification to teachers, advisors, administrators, or other GCA staff members does not replace the required approval of the District Registrar.

Custody and Determination of Domicile

Where custody of a child is shared by two or more persons:

• The parent or legal custodian who has the majority of physical custody, as established by court order, shall be the individual whose residency determines the student’s domicile for enrollment purposes;
• A copy of the court order will be required to verify custodial arrangements;
• If physical custody is equally shared, additional documentation may be required to determine primary domicile.

The student must reside primarily with the Georgia-domiciled custodial parent for the majority of the school year. If a student resides outside the State of Georgia for the majority of the school year, the student will not meet residency eligibility requirements and must enroll in a school within the state of their primary residence to remain in compliance with state law.

Residency Fraud

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) commit residency fraud when they knowingly:

• Submit an address that is not their true legal residence during the affidavit or enrollment process;
• Provide false, misleading, or incomplete information regarding domicile;
• Use the address of a relative, friend, business, rental property, or other location where the student does not primarily reside;
• Fail to disclose a change in residency; or
• Submit falsified documentation to establish Georgia residency.

Submission of false residency information may constitute fraud under Georgia law.

Residency Review and Investigation

GCA reserves the right to verify and investigate residency at any time. A residency review may be initiated based on, but not limited to:

• Disclosure by a student or parent indicating out-of-state travel or residence;
• Data verification reviews revealing conflicting information;
• Notification from an out-of-state public or private school or district;
• Returned mail marked undeliverable;
• Information provided by landlords, citizens, or other third parties;
• Multiple unrelated students using the same residence address;
• Inconsistencies in documentation;
• Any other information suggesting that a student’s actual residence differs from school records.

The school may require additional documentation, sworn statements, or other proof to confirm residency status.

Consequences of Residency Fraud or Non Residency

If it is determined that a student is not a legal resident of Georgia or that false residency information was provided:

• The student will be administratively withdrawn and unenrolled from Georgia Cyber Academy;
• The parent/guardian may be responsible for investigative costs incurred by the school if applicable;
• The District may pursue available civil remedies;
• The matter may be referred to appropriate authorities for further action.

Administrative withdrawal may occur immediately upon confirmation of non-residency.

Special Circumstances

In rare or exceptional situations involving extenuating circumstances, GCA may review residency matters on a case-by-case basis.

Any temporary accommodation:

• Must be reviewed and approved in writing by the school;
• May include specific conditions or time limitations;
• Does not guarantee continued enrollment;
• Does not waive state residency requirements.

Good Faith Enrollment Expectation

As a Georgia public charter school, GCA operates under the expectation that families enrolling their student understand and acknowledge that public school attendance is restricted to students who legally reside within the State of Georgia.

Enrollment is made in good faith with the understanding that all information provided is accurate and truthful at the time of submission and remains accurate throughout the student’s enrollment.

Parent Guardian Acknowledgement

By enrolling a student at Georgia Cyber Academy, the parent or guardian acknowledges and agrees that:

• The student must legally and physically reside in the State of Georgia;
• The student will live at the address provided on the enrollment application;
• In shared custody situations, residency eligibility is determined by the Georgia-domiciled parent with majority physical custody;
• The District Registrar must be notified immediately of any change in residency or any circumstance requiring temporary out-of-state travel;
• Notification to other GCA staff members does not replace this requirement;
• If at any time a student is found to be residing outside the State of Georgia, without notification or longer than approved out of state travel by the District Registrar, the student may be immediately withdrawn from Georgia Cyber Academy.