All participating elementary schools are required to compete in a preliminary cluster bowl competition.  The top two elementary teams from each cluster will move on to compete in the APS district competition on January 31, 2026. To learn more about cluster bowl competitions, click here.

All participating middle and high schools will compete in the district's Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl competition on January 31, 2026. There is no preliminary competitions for  middle and high school teams. 

All traditional, charter, partner,  and private schools situated in Atlanta must complete the Atlanta Public Schools online registration here. APS Library Media Services will register and cover the fees for all APS traditional schools. All other schools will need to register and submit their own fees to the state. More information about state registration and fees can be found here.