Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (School Choice)

As the parent of a student who receives special education services in the Bulloch County School System, you can exercise public and private school choice. Under state law passed by the Georgia State Legislature in 2007 (Senate Bill 10), parents of students who receive special education services, may choose to transfer their child to another public school or private school in Georgia. To qualify for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program, a student must meet all of the following requirements:

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.
Student Eligibility Criteria 2- A student was enrolled and completed a school year in a Georgia public school in a grade (Kindergarten through twelfth grade).
Student Eligibility Criteria 3- A student was reported as attending a Georgia public school by a school district(s) during mandatory student counts conducted annually in October and March.
Student Eligibility Criteria 4 - A student does not need to have an Individualized Education Plan for the entire school year to qualify for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program.
- A student must have received special education services at some point during the school year through an individualized education plan.
- A student must be reported by a school district(s) in either an October or March full-time equivalent student count or in a final student record as a student who received special education services by the end of the previous school year.

Public School Choice Options

Option 1: A parent/guardian can request a transfer to another public school within his/her school system as long as available space exists at the school, and the school has a program with the services agreed to in the student’s existing individualized education program. If the parent chooses this option, then the parent shall be responsible for transportation to the school.

Option 2: The parent/guardian may request a transfer to a school in another school system if there is available space, and the system and school has a program with the services agreed to in the student’s existing individualized education program. A school system must agree to accept the student; however, if the parent chooses this option and the school system accepts the child, then the parent shall be responsible for transportation to a school in that system.

Option 3: The parent/guardian 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 if that 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. Please contact the Georgia Department of Education for more information about transferring to a state school.

Private School Choice Option

If you are interested in transferring your child to a private school in Georgia, you 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 parent application process, please contact the Georgia Department of Education at 205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30334; Telephone (404) 656-2800; Toll Free Telephone: (800) 311-3627 (GA); Fax: (404) 651-8737; or Email.

Questions & Notifications

If you have questions or concerns regarding these school choice/transfer options for students with special education needs, please contact Bulloch County Schools' Special Education Services and Support Department at 912.212.8580.

The window for requesting school choice/transfer through this process occurs for a two-week period each May. Requests for school choice must be submitted in writing. You may send requests via email or United States Postal Service to the contact information listed on this website. Approval or denial of requests will be sent to your home address by July.

Key Contacts

Leslie Schlierf, Executive Director
Special Education Services
912.212.8581

Paula Jacobs, Assistant Director
Special Education Services
912.212.8586

Julie Mixon, Director
Special Education
912-212-8584

Nicole Deal, Secretary
912.212.8580
912.212.8609 (fax)