Schools

GCPS Students Go Back Aug. 6; Open Houses Aug. 2

What returning and new students to Gwinnett County Public Schools need to know to get ready for the upcoming 2012-2013 school year.

As the summer vacation winds down, Gwinnett County Public School officials are already releasing information to get students prepared for a return to classrooms.

According to information provided by GCPS, the 2012-2013 school year is the first time in more than a decade that no new school facilities will open, though there will be one expansion. Gwinnett County Online campus is adding middle school classes.

There are about 265 new students expected for the upcoming school year, which brings the total systemwide enrollment to 162,635. In the district there are 132 facilities, including 77 elementary schools 26 middle schools, 19 high schools and 10 special entities.

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These include:

  • Buice School (Pre-K special needs programs);
  • GIVE Center East; (Gwinnett InterVention Education Center, an alternative program for middle and high school students);
  • GIVE Center West; Gwinnett Online Campus (system charter online school expanding this year to the middle school level);
  • Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (system charter high school);
  • Hooper Renwick School (special education programs);
  • Monarch School (special education and pre-K programs and services);
  • Maxwell High School of Technology (system charter school offering technical education programs);
  • Oakland Meadow School (special education programs).
  • New Life Academy of Excellence is a Board-approved start-up charter school that operates in the county. The school serves students at two different campuses located in Duluth (K-8) and Norcross (K-3).

Back-to-School Activities:

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These take place July 30 through Aug. 3. Many schools plan to have an open house on Thursday, August 2, but parents are encouraged to check the district website for information on dates and times of planned back-to-school activities for their particular school. These activities include meeting new teachers, picking up schedules, acquiring lockers and parking spaces, paying for school lunches, joining the PTA and shopping for new school spirit wear.

Registration for New Students:

Officials said newcomers registering for the first time with Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) should call their local school for details regarding registration hours, testing for placement, and procedures. Parents unsure which school their child or children will attend should call the GCPS department of planning at 678)-301-7085.

Current GCPS students who are moving from one grade level to another, even if moving up to another school such at rising sixth graders in middle school or ninth graders in high school, do not need to re-register.  

Documents Needed for Registration:

GCPS' website gives the following details on documentation required for student registration.     

  • Proof of authorized person enrolling student – The following persons are authorized to enroll students: parent (natural or adoptive), legal guardian, foster parent appointed by a state agency, or sponsor for approved international exchange program. This person should present one of the following: driver’s license, state identification card, passport, or other official photo identification.
  • An official document showing proof of student’s ageThe person authorized to enroll the student has the option of presenting either a certified copy of a birth certificate or a federal, state, county, or school document with date of birth. (Examples of this second option include a certified, hospital-issued birth record or birth certificate; military I.D.; valid driver’s license; passport; adoption record; religious record, signed by an authorized religious official; official school transcript; official immigration documentation; or affidavit of age sworn by parent/guardian or other authorized person accompanied by a certificate of age signed by a licensed, practicing physician which states the physician has examined the child and believes the age, as stated in the affidavit, is substantially correct.)
  • A valid Georgia certificate of immunization (Ga. Health Dept. Form #3231, revised March 2007 or later) – The form must be completed by the health department (www.gwinnetthealth.com) or a Georgia physician. A medical exemption should be noted on Form #3231 with a current date of expiration. A form may be requested from the school for religious exemption.
  • Evidence of vision, hearing, and dental exams (Ga. Health Dept. Form #3300) – The form is available from the health department or a physician/dentist. Letters from appropriate healthcare professionals and out-of-state certificates are acceptable, if completed within the last 12 months and stapled to the state form.
  • Previous school records – Report cards or official school transcript, withdrawal form from previous school, discipline records for students enrolling in grades 7-12
  • Proof that family lives in Gwinnett County attendance zone – The person authorized to enroll the student must show one of the following: non-contingent sales contract, current lease/rental agreement, most recent income tax return, current paycheck stub, current Medicaid card, current residential property tax statement or bill, current warranty or quick claim deed, current home purchase agreement, current homeowner’s insurance policy, or third-person affidavit of residency (notarized residency affidavit.*)
  • In addition, one of the following must accompany the document above: current gas bill, current water bill, current electric bill. *If the student’s family is residing in the home or apartment of another individual, the following is necessary for enrollment: Notarized Residency Affidavit (available at school) including the signature of person with whom the family is living, and the apartment manager’s signature (if applicable). In addition, the person with whom the family is living must show proof of residency using the documents mentioned above. (Documents presented for residency verification must include the same address as the accompanying utility bill, the bill must have the name and address of the enrolling parent/guardian, a telephone bill is not acceptable, a contingency sales contract is not acceptable. Exception: A deed without an address is acceptable if accompanied by two utility bills (excluding telephone bills) with same address in attendance zone.)

For more information on documents needed for registration, visit the school system’s website at www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us


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