Special Services Links

Georgia's Special Needs Scholarship

Georgia’s Special Needs Scholarship allows eligible special needs students to transfer to another public school, public school district, state school or authorized participating private school. A student must meet the following criteria to be eligible:

Criteria 1 – A student must have a parent/guardian who currently lives in Georgia and has been a resident for at least one calendar year.

Criteria 2 – A student was enrolled and attended a Georgia public school (grades K-12) the entire previous school year. Pre-school special education students do not qualify. A student must complete a full school year in kindergarten before he/she can be eligible.

Criteria 3 – A student was reported by a school district(s) during student counts conducted by public schools in October and March of the previous school year.

Criteria 4 – A student does not need to have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for the entire school year to qualify. A student must have received special education services at some point during the previous school year under an IEP.

If a student meets the eligibility criteria; a parent(s) has the right to request a transfer from a student’s current public school to:

1)      Another public school within their district or residence; or

2)      Another public school district outside their district of residence; or

3)      One of the three state schools for the blind or deaf; or

4)      A private school authorized to participate in the Program.

More information about the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program can be found at the following link GA SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. The deadline for students to be enrolled and attending eligible private schools can be found on this website. Parents who may have questions regarding the options available may contact Special Services at 912-384-2086.

Child Find

Child Find is a process of locating, identifying, and evaluating children with disabilities to ensure they receive services to which they are entitled. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires school systems to locate and identify disabled students. Children and youth, from birth to age 21, within the Coffee County School District and are suspected of having a disability, may be referred for a possible evaluation to determine if they are eligible for special education services. For more information about referring a child contact Special Services at 384-2086.  More information about Child Find can be found at CHILD FIND WEBSITE LINK.