Enrollment Policy

Grade Level New Enrollment Cap as used in this policy is defined as enrollment caps set by Board policy.

Grade Level Total Enrollment Cap as used in this policy is defined as enrollment caps set by Board policy.

Students that attended GCA in the prior year may re-enroll through the fourth week of school (28 calendar days beginning on the first day of school) provided that the grade level total student enrollment cap has not been reached prior to the enrollment deadline. GCA students enrolled in the prior year may have been waitlisted if they did not register during the open re-registration period.  In this case, they would be eligible for enrollment only as their name is reached on the waitlist. 

New students may be accepted and enrolled through the fourth week of school (28 calendar days beginning on the first day of school) provided that the grade level new enrollment percentage and/or total enrollment caps have not been reached prior to the enrollment deadline. If a mid-year enrollment period is offered, then new students must enroll during the designated mid-year open enrollment period and begin on the designated start date in January.

GCA Board, administration, faculty, and staff children may be newly enrolled in any grade K through 12 at any time during the school year, regardless of whether the grade level new enrollment or total student enrollment caps have been reached.

Siblings of existing students may be newly enrolled in any grade K through 12 through the 8^th week of school (56 calendar days beginning on the first day of school), regardless of whether the grade level new enrollment or total student enrollment caps have been reached. If a mid-year enrollment period is offered, then siblings of existing students may enroll during the designated mid-year open enrollment period and begin on the designated start date in January.

In full compliance and spirit of the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act, homeless students may be newly enrolled in any grade K through 12 through the 8^th week of school (56 calendar days beginning on the first day of school), regardless of whether the grade level new enrollment or total student enrollment caps have been reached. If a mid-year enrollment period is offered, then MKV students may enroll during the designated mid-year open enrollment period and begin on the designated start date in January.

A mid-year enrollment period may be offered in any school year that available teacher capacity and computer inventory are available to serve additional students.  If offered, it will be advertised on the website as of November 1^st. The mid-year open enrollment period will last from November 1^st through the December 15^th.  Students enrolled midyear will start 2^nd semester in January.

In pandemic situations, natural disasters, and state of emergencies, to serve community demand for a safe school option, the school administration may enroll over the enrollment caps for any grade level up to its available capacity per its charter, its student to teacher ratio, and its available computer inventory. 

Kindergarten - no new student enrollment cap; the total number of students may not exceed 2000 or per charter contract.

1^st grade - no new student enrollment cap; the total number of students may not exceed 2000 or per charter contract.

2^nd grade - no new student enrollment cap; the total number of students may not exceed 2000 or per charter contract.

3^rd grade - no more than 40% of total student enrollment may be newly enrolled students; the total number of students may not exceed 2000 or per charter contract.

4^th grade - no more than 30% of total student enrollment may be newly enrolled students; the total number of students may not exceed 2000 or per charter contract.

5^th grade - no more than 30% of total student enrollment may be newly enrolled students; the total number of students may not exceed 2000 or per charter contract.

6^th grade - no more than 40% of total student enrollment may be newly enrolled students; the total number of students may not exceed 2000 or per charter contract.

7^th grade - no more than 30% of total student enrollment may be newly enrolled students; the total number of students may not exceed 2000 or per charter contract.

8^th grade - no more than 30% of total student enrollment may be newly enrolled students; the total number of students may not exceed 2000 or per charter contract.

9^th grade - no more than 40% of total student enrollment may be newly enrolled students; the total number of students may not exceed 2000 or per charter contract.

10^th grade - no more than 15% of total student enrollment may be newly enrolled students; the total number of students may not exceed 2000 or per charter contract.

11^th grade - no more than 10% of total student enrollment may be newly enrolled students; the total number of students may not exceed 2000 or per charter contract.

12^th grade - no more than 5% of total student enrollment may be newly enrolled students; the total number of students may not exceed 2000 or per charter contract.

The determined number of seats available for the next school year will be based off January 31^st enrollment numbers.  The determined number of seats available may be initially increased by 10% to account for normal attrition throughout the school year and beginning of the year enrollment no shows. Seat confirmation in any grade level may be suspended if overall school enrollment capacity per charter contract is reached, student to teacher ratio capacity is reached, or available computer inventory has been exhausted. 

For Grades 3 through 8, the new student enrollment grade level caps will remain in place until a given grade level’s overall performance meets or exceeds the state’s average academic performance on the Milestone EOGs across all subjects tested in that grade or CCRPI Single Score for a given grade band exceeds the state average.  Once a grade level is meeting or exceeding state averages in all subjects tested or the grade levels within a given grade band exceed the state single score CCRPI average, the new enrollment percentage cap may be adjusted to a higher percentage or removed, however the overall total grade level enrollment cap will stand. The SCSC weighted CCRPI comparison score taking into account where GCA actually draws its student population from (school or district) may be used in place of the GaDOE single score CCRPI calculation for the purpose of determining if grade level enrollment caps should be revised or removed.

For Grades 9 through 12, the new student enrollment grade level caps will remain in place until the High School, as a whole, meets or exceeds the state’s average CCRPI HS single score or GCA’s Milestone EOCs scores meet or exceed the state’s average academic performance for all courses tested. Once the High School, as a whole, is meeting or exceeding state averages in one of the two criteria areas previously listed, the 9^th through 12^th grades new enrollment percentage caps may be adjusted to a higher percentage or removed, however the overall total grade level enrollment cap will stand. The SCSC weighted CCRPI comparison score taking into account where GCA actually draws its student population from (school or district) may be used in place of the GaDOE single score CCRPI calculation for the purpose of determining if grade level enrollment caps should be revised or removed.