Intradistrict Transfer Option
In
November, 2011, the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) submitted
to the U. S. Department of Education (US ED) an application requesting
flexibility through waivers of ten Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 (ESEA) requirements and their associated, regulatory,
administrative and reporting requirements. One of the ten requested
waivers directly affected Public School Choice (Choice). Beginning in
the 2012-2013 school year those Title I schools that were required to
offer Public School Choice (Choice) due to a NCLB school improvement
status, the waiver allows those Title I schools to no longer be
required to offer Choice under ESEA but rather follow Georgia’s
Intradistrict Transfer option. Georgia’s Intradistrict Transfer
(O.C.G.A. §20-2-2130, O.C.G.A. §20-2-2131) option allows parents of
students enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school in Georgia
to elect to enroll their student in a public school that is located
within the school district in which the student resides other than the
one to which the student has been assigned by the local board of
education if such school has classroom space available after its
assigned students have been enrolled. The parent shall assume the
responsibility and cost of transportation of the student to and from the
school. Each local school district establishes its own process
(available to all students) to implement the transfer requirements of
Georgia’s Intradistrict Transfer option.