Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) is a Federal civil rights law that prohibits disability discrimination in programs and activities that receive Federal funds. The law requires all public and charter Schools to provide Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to qualified individuals. The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) oversees the compliance for Section 504. The law ensures that students with a disability have educational opportunities and benefits equal to those provided to non-disabled students. Section 504 regulations require school districts to provide appropriate education to students with disabilities under Section 504.

Eligibility for Section 504 begins at the school level. Each school has an individual designated to coordinate Section 504 services. For more information or questions regarding the referral and eligibility process, please contact the 504 Chairperson at your local school.

The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS) Program

The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program (also known as Senate Bill 10 on the District’s School Choice website) is a school choice program available for special needs students attending Georgia public schools who are served under an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan.

As a parent of a 504-eligible student in City Schools of Decatur, this notification serves to inform you about your options to exercise public and private school choice. Under a state law passed by the Georgia State Legislature in 2007 (SB10) and a revision passed in 2021 (SB47), parents of students who receive special education and students who receive services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 may choose, if eligibility criteria are met, to transfer their child to another public school within their district of residence, another public school outside their district of residence, one of the state schools for deaf or blind operated by the state board of education, or a private school authorized to participate in the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS).

Private School Choice Option

If you are interested in transferring your child to a private school in Georgia, you may be able to take advantage of a Georgia Special Needs Scholarship. These scholarships provide funding that can be used to offset tuition costs at participating private schools in the state of Georgia.  Eligibility will be determined by using the scholarship calculator on the GSNS website.

• For 504-eligible students to qualify for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program, the student must meet all requirements. For more information on the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship and the parent application process, please visit the Georgia Department of Education's website.

Public School Choice / Intra-School Transfer Options

• A parent can request a transfer to another public school within their school system as long as there is available space at that school and the school has a program with the services agreed to in the student's existing Section 504 Plan. In addition, the specific program within the school must also have available space. If a parent chooses this option, then the parent shall be responsible for transportation. To apply for this option, a parent must complete and submit the online SB-47 In-System Transfer Request.
• All requests must be submitted electronically using the button below. The transfer application must be received by the City Schools of Decatur no later than May 1, 2024. All transfer decisions will be communicated by June 30, 2024.