The Newton County School System has announced parents’ options to transfer students for the 2013-2014 school year.
Five elementary schools and two middle schools currently have slots for transfer students. However, there are no slots available in any of the district’s three high schools, NCSS said.
Under House Bill 251 Procedures for School Choice, a law enacted in 2009, parents of K-12 public school students in Georgia have the option to enroll their child in any school within the local school district in which they reside, as long as classroom space is available. Transfer students will only be enrolled after assigned students have been enrolled.
A student who transfers to another school under the law can continue to attend that school until he or she completes all grades there. Parents must assume all costs and responsibilities associated with a child’s transportation to and from school.
Elementary schools that have transfer student slots are: East Newton, Heard-Mixon, Livingston, Mansfield, and Porterdale. Clements and Veterans Memorial Middle schools also have slots.
Tentative seats available per grade level at each of the potential transfer schools can be seen in the graph below.
Sherri Davis-Viniard, NCSS director of public relations, said parents who wish to transfer a student must complete and submit an NCSS HB 251 Transfer Request Form. The deadline is 5 p.m. July 15.
The completed form should be hand-delivered to the receptionist at the Newton County Board of Education, 2109 Newton Drive NE, Covington, or by fax to 770-784-4969. The form is available on the NCSS website homepage at newtoncountyschools.org.
Davis-Viniard said Transfer Request Forms will be accepted only for tentatively eligible schools and grades listed. If the number of transfer requests received exceeds the remaining available capacity, openings will be filled by a public random lottery.
Letters will be mailed to parents/guardians regarding acceptance or denial of HB 251 transfer requests no later than July 19.
For more information, contact the NCSS department of student services at 770-787-1330, ext. 1205.
