


Parents are encouraged to review the many documents available on the Georgia Department of Education website for more information about GSNS.įor 504-eligible students to qualify for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program, the student must meet all three requirements: It is important to note that the application process is online, and selection is via lottery and based upon seat availability only. The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS) Program ( also known as Senate Bill 10 on the District’s School Choice website) is a school choice program available for special needs students attending Georgia public schools who are served under an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan. Under a state law passed by the Georgia State Legislature in 2007 (SB10) and a revision passed in 2021 (SB47), parents of students who receive special education and students who receive services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 may choose, if eligibility criteria are met, to transfer their child to another public school within their district of residence, another public school outside theirĭistrict of residence, one of the state schools for deaf or blind operated by the state board of education, or a private school authorized to participate in the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS). A student must be reported by a school district(s) in either the October OR March student counts of that year OR in final student record as a student receiving special education services by the end of that school year.Īs a parent of a 504-eligible student in the DeKalb County School District, this letter serves to inform you about your options to exercise public and private school choice. A student must have received special education services at some point during the prior school year through an IEP. Student Eligibility Criteria 4: A student does not need to have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for the entire school year to qualify for the GSNS Program.Student Eligibility Criteria 3: A student was reported attending a Georgia public school by a school district(s) during mandatory student counts conducted in October and March.Student Eligibility Criteria 2: A student was enrolled and completed the prior school year in a Georgia public school in grades kindergarten through twelfth.Student Eligibility Criteria 1: A student must have a parent/guardian who currently lives in Georgia and has been a resident for at least one calendar year.A student must meet the following eligibility requirements to participate in the GSNS Program during the school year:
