School attendance zones are established by the Cobb County Board of Education. Students are required to attend the school within the established attendance zone in which they reside, unless an exception is granted in compliance with federal and state law, State Board of Education rules and Cobb County School District rules. These exceptions include a student’s attendance at a magnet school, family moves that occur during the school year, assignment of children of employees, student legal issues, and extreme medical/emotional situations at a student’s home school, and school choice.
School Choice
School Choice transfers are available each year during an announced application period. The application procedures, forms, and dates will be posted on the District’s website during second semester each year.
Sibling Transfers
Parents/guardians of a student who has a sibling already enrolled in a District school through an approved transfer may apply for the younger sibling to attend the same school in accordance with District Administrative Rule JBCD-R. This provision attempts to address siblings enrolled in different schools at the same time due to an approved transfer. A sibling is defined as a brother, sister, step-brother, or step-sister living in the same household and who otherwise meets the requirements for enrollment. Parents/Guardians wishing to apply for a sibling school choice transfer must do so during the annual application period.
HB 251
Parent/guardians of a student zoned to attend a District school may apply for an HB 251 transfer in accordance with Georgia’s Quality Basic Education Act and District Administrative Rule JBCD-R in order to pursue a transfer to another District school. Available space at a school is based on permanent classroom space. In the event that the number of transfer requests exceeds the available capacity of a school, the District will conduct a random lottery.
Information regarding School Choice transfers may be found HERE.
Special Needs Scholarship
Special Needs Scholarships, which provide tuition to private school for students with disabilities, are available each year during a period established by the Georgia State Board of Education. A student with a disability may apply for a scholarship to an approved private school pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2110, et. seq., (also known as SB 10) by applying directly to the State Department of Education.
Information regarding the State Department of Education's SB10 program may be found HERE.
Magnet Programs
To be enrolled in a magnet program, a student must be eligible to attend a District school. Students submit applications online during their eighth grade year. Information is made available through local middle schools each year.
Information regarding Magnet Programs may be found HERE.
Continuation of Enrollment
Family Moves - If the family of a student who is already enrolled and attending a district school moves outside of the current school's attendance zone, the enrolling adult may apply for his/her child to remain enrolled at the current school. Based on several factors including the date of the move and the location of the new residence, the student may be eligible to be approved to continue enrollment for the current semester, the current school year, or through the highest grade of the school.
Program Change - If a student’s current educational services change, the enrolling adult may apply for his/her child to remain enrolled at the current school. Examples of services changes include a change in IEP placement, dropping a magnet program, a change in IEL services, or a change in homeless education status.
Information regarding Continuation of Enrollment transfers may be found HERE.
Children of Employees
All employees of the Cobb County School District (District), except temporary and substitute employees, who are also a custodial parent/legal guardian/step-parent with whom the child is domiciled, may elect to have their child(ren) attend any District school according to the requirements of Administrative Rule JBCD-R.
Information regarding Child(ren) of Employee transfers may be found HERE.
Student Legal Issues
A student who is the victim of a violent crime (as defined in Administrative Rule JBCD-R) may be eligible for a transfer to another school in the District. Form JBCD-6 (Victim of Violent Crime Request) must be submitted to the Policy and Planning office (Student.Transfers@cobbk12.org).
Hardships
Unique hardships depend on individual student concerns. However, issues such as grievances arising from parent-school conflicts, peer group associations, discipline, attendance problems, and a dissatisfaction with a particular school are not considered hardships. Hardship transfers do not allow for the choice of a specific school but rather seek to address issues that would prohibit a student from attending his/her zoned school.
Information regarding Hardship transfers can be found HERE.
