Newton County Schools Announce House Bill 251 Procedures for School Choice for the 2024-2025 School Year
After reviewing guidelines provided by the Georgia Department of Education, Newton County Schools has identified five schools as potentially eligible to receive students whose parents wish to transfer their child under the provisions of House Bill 251. Those schools are: Flint Hill Elementary, Livingston Elementary, Middle Ridge Elementary, Porterdale Elementary, Rocky Plains Elementary and Alcovy High.
The statute allows Georgia parents to request to transfer their students to other schools in the district as long as there is classroom space available at the school after its assigned students have been enrolled. A student who transfers to another school pursuant to this law may elect to continue to attend such school until the student completes all grades of the school. Newton County Schools has determined the tentative seats available per grade level at each of the potential transfer schools as listed below:
Tentative Available Seats
| Elementary Schools |
|
Available Seats Per Grade Level |
| Flint Hill Elementary |
|
Ten 2nd grade; Five third grade |
| Livingston Elementary |
|
Five 1st grade; Ten 2nd grade; Five 3rd grade |
| Middle Ridge Elementary |
|
Five 5th grade, Five 2nd grade |
| Porterdale Elementary |
|
Ten 1st grade; Ten 2nd grade; Ten 3rd grade; Ten 4th grade; Ten 5th grade |
| Rocky Plains Elementary |
|
Five 1st grade, Five 3rd grade, Ten 5th grade |
| High Schools |
|
Available Seat Per Grade |
| Alcovy High |
|
Ten total spaces |
Parents electing to exercise the choice option under HB 251 will assume all costs and responsibilities associated with transporting the child to and from the selected school, if the request is granted. Each application is considered individually, and approvals will not include future or current sibling enrollment. Excessive absences and/or tardies may jeopardize this approval. Parents must complete an NCS HB 251 Transfer Request Form and submit either by hand delivery to the receptionist at the Newton County Board of Education, located at 2109 Newton Drive NE, Covington OR by email to
[email protected]. The deadline for submission is 5:00 p.m., Friday, July 19, 2024. No HB 251 transfer requests will be accepted for the 2024-2025 school year after the July 19 deadline. Transfer Request Forms will be accepted only for those tentatively eligible schools/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 request no later than July 26, 2024. The HB 251 Transfer Request Form is posted and available for download on the Newton County School System website homepage at www.newtoncountyschools.org. For more information, please contact the Newton County School System Department of Student Services at 770-787-1330 ext. 1212.
DOWNLOAD:
HB 251 Transfer Request Form