Parents may apply to any number of schools that are accepting submissions. Our office recommends applying to at least three schools accepting transfers.

Proof of residency (refer to the living scenarios listed below) should be submitted with your School Choice transfer application. The person, with whom the student lives must submit proof of residency, dated within the last 30 days and must show parent/guardian legal name and street address. 

Please note: a P.O. Box is not accepted as a resident address.

Carefully read the scenarios listed below, and provide the documents that apply to your child’s living situation. You may bring copies with you or request for copies to be made at the time you submit your application. 

Possible Living Situation #1  If you own and live in the resident property, you will need to provide: 

• Photo identification; 

•  A deed or a mortgage statement in your name showing residence/ property address; 

•  A Georgia Power bill (current within 30 days) in your name for the current month showing the residence property 

• Signed & Notarized Affidavit of Residency

Possible Living Situation #2 If you rent and live in the rental property, you will need to provide: 

• Photo identification; 

•  Copy of Lease/Rental Agreement (or current HUD Certificate of Compliance/Annual Renew Notice); 

•  A Georgia Power bill (current within 30 days) showing the residence property address

• Signed & Notarized Affidavit of Residency

Possible Living Situation #3  If you are living at a property with the owner or being rented by another person, you will need to provide 

•  Photo identification; 

•  A deed, mortgage statement, or Lease/Rental Agreement (or current HUD Certificate of Compliance/Annual Renewal Notice) in the owner or primary renters name and showing residence property address;

• Georgia Power bill (current within 30 days); 

• Signed & Notarized Affidavit of Residency; AND 

• Three supporting documents in your name showing the residence property address. 

A list of additional documents can be found by clicking your preferred language: English | Spanish

Transfers are available to families that prefer to attend an APS school outside of their neighborhood or zoned school. 

Parents will be notified if their application has been approved or denied on or before May 24.

Every effort will be made to honor your choice requests. However, since general administrative transfers and special need transfers are limited by available classroom space at each school, there is no guarantee that every application will be approved.

Siblings are not given priority in the administrative transfer process. A parent must submit a separate application for each child.

An administrative transfer is effective through the highest grade of the transfer school. Parents of rising sixth and ninth graders must apply for the next school level in the spring during the child’s fifth and eighth-grade years.

APS welcomes all parents who would like to submit an application for a general transfer. If your application is approved, the parent or legal guardian will be required to pay tuition. The Atlanta Board of Education sets the tuition rate each year based on the cost to educate a child in the district. 

For current general transfer tuition rates, send an email to studentassignment@atlanta.k12.ga.us or call 404-802-2233.

General administrative transfers are granted based upon classroom availability. If the number of applications for a given school exceeds the number of available spaces, a random lottery is conducted to provide each interested student with an equal chance for admission.

School capacity is reviewed each year. The superintendent then determines which schools have available classroom space and are eligible to accept school choice transfers.

Schools with 90 percent or above the facility’s planning capacity (based upon current year or projected enrollment), are ineligible to accept general administrative transfers for the following school year. If attendance zone growth projections show that a school will reach or exceed 90 percent capacity within any school year in which a transfer is valid, that school becomes ineligible to accept general administrative transfers.

Available transfer spaces in schools with capacity will be determined based on the number of projected spaces available in each class at each grade level not to exceed the state class size maximums. School choice transfers will not be offered that would result in projected class sizes above the state class size maximums even in years in which the Atlanta Board of Education and Georgia Board of Education approve a waiver of the state class size maximums. School choice transfers will not be offered that would result in an increase in the number of teachers allocated to the receiving school. Schools with portable classrooms or temporary satellite site locations to relieve overcrowding, shall not be deemed to have available classroom space.

A parent may request a transfer for a child who has an IEP. If a parent requests a transfer to a school that does not offer services required by a current IEP or Individualized Accommodation Plan, the district is not required to develop those services at the requested school.

Notice: A student with disabilities who applied will need to have his or her individualized educational program (IEP) or Section 504 plan evaluated to determine if capacity on the special education program and services required under the IEP or 504 plans are available at the school. The district is not required to add program capacity and services to a school. If services and program capacity are not available your transfer may be denied.

A general administrative transfer request may be denied for the following reasons:

• Lack of classroom capacity of the school based on established health and safety provisions;

• Class-size capacity by grade and subject, based on state law and rule; or

• Lack of capacity based on choice for students required under federal law (e.g., students transferring from Needs Improvement schools or unsafe schools under No Child Left Behind; for students with disabilities whose IEP or IAP requests placement at a particular school).

No. Parents who receive a general administrative transfer, assume all responsibility and cost of transporting their child, in a timely manner, to and from school.

Students and parents should be aware that school transfers may affect the student’s eligibility to participate in athletic and extracurricular activities, which are governed by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA). Parents should verify whether GHSA requirements may affect their child’s eligibility, before submitting a school transfer request. 

Yes. Employees must apply through the general administrative transfer process. State law allows children of school-based employees to attend the school district where the employee works. Due to APS board regulations, the employee must complete a worksite transfer application.

• To apply for an Employee Worksite Transfer, click here 

• To apply for an Employee Cluster Transfer, click here

To qualify for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program (GSNS), a student must meet all four of the requirements listed below. There are no exceptions to the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) eligibility criteria.  

• Student Eligibility Criteria 1- A student have must 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 the entire previous school year in a Georgia Public School (grades K-12).

• Student Eligibility Criteria 3- A student was reported as attending a Georgia public school by a school district(s) during mandatory student counts conducted in October and March.

• Student Eligibility Criteria 4 - A student does not need to have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for the entire school year to qualify for the GSNS Program. A student must be reported by a school district in either the October OR March student-counts OR in student record as a student receiving special education services by the end of the school year.

The GSNS allows eligible special education students to request a transfer to:

• Another public school within their district of residence; or

• Another public school district outside their district of residence; or

• One of the three state schools for the blind or deaf; or

• A private school authorized to participate in the GSNS Program.

Funds received through the GSNS Program can only be used to offset tuition and fees at a private school authorized by the State Board of Education. However, the scholarship may not cover the total cost of tuition and fees.

Funds cannot be used for out-of-district tuition, charter schools, or other options available under public school choice. Also, GSNS funds cannot be used to pay for:

• Transportation

• Before or after-school care

• Meals

• Tutoring

• Field trip fees

• Athletic fees

• School supplies

• Summer school/camp programs

• Other fees (determined by GaDOE)

Students who do not meet the eligibility requirements will not receive a scholarship – no exceptions.

• The student must have attended public school in Georgia in grades kindergarten through 12. Toddlers and state pre-kindergarten programs for 4-year-olds, are not eligible.

• A home-school operating under O.G.C.A. §20-2-690, is not eligible to enroll scholarship students.

• Residential Treatment Facilities are not eligible to enroll scholarship students.

• Department of Juvenile Justice Schools and students are not eligible to receive the scholarship.

Out-of-district students are required to pay non-resident student tuition. Funds received through the GSNS Program cannot be used for out-of-district tuition, charter schools, or other options available under public school choice.

GSNS transfers are granted based upon space availability. If the number of applications for a school exceed the number of classroom spaces, a random lottery will be conducted to provide each student with an equal opportunity for admission.

Transportation is the responsibility of the parent. You must provide on-time, daily transportation, to and from the school.

No. There must be appropriate special education services and space available at the requested school. The school is not required to add more services for transfer students.

Private schools have no obligation to provide special education or related services. If you accept the scholarship, you must waive your child’s federal rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Special education assistance or related services will not be provided from the public school.