Students shall be admitted to the Hall County School District when all legal requirements are verified at the time of entrance. Reasonable and sufficient public notice is given at the beginning of each school year of the information required for students who will enter school in this district.

Age Requirements– Georgia law requires that students attend a public or private school or home study program between the ages of six and sixteen.

Free public kindergarten is available in every Hall County elementary school. A child must be five (5) years of age on or before September 1, to be admitted to kindergarten and six (6) years of age on or before September 1, to be admitted into the first grade. The law does not require that a child be enrolled prior to the child’s sixth birthday, however all children enrolled for 20 school days or more in the public schools of this state prior to their sixth birthday shall become subject to the compulsory attendance law.

Georgia law does make an exception on the September 1 deadline. It reads; “A child who was a legal resident of one or more states for a period of two years immediately prior to moving to this state and who was legally enrolled in a public kindergarten or first grade, or a kindergarten or first grade accredited by a state or regional association, shall be eligible for enrolling in the appropriate education program authorized in this part, if such child will attain the age of five in kindergarten or six for first grade by December 31 and is otherwise qualified.”

All children and youth who have attained the age of five years by September 1 shall be eligible for enrollment in the appropriate general education program unless they attain the age of 20 by September 1 or they have received high school diplomas or the equivalent. This specifically includes students who have reenrolled after dropping out and who are married, parents, or pregnant.

Special education students shall also be eligible for enrollment in appropriate education programs through age 21 or until they receive high school or special education diplomas or the equivalent, provided, however, they were enrolled during the preceding school year and had an approved Individualized Education Program (IEP) which indicated that a successive year of enrollment was needed.

Other students who have not yet attained age 21 by September 1 or received high school diplomas or the equivalent shall be eligible for enrollment in appropriate education programs, provided they have not dropped out of school for one quarter or more.

Required Records for School Enrollment

– Georgia law requires the following in order to enroll in the Hall County School System:

1. Birth Certificate. The birth certificate must be an official certified copy. Students who present themselves for enrollment without the required birth certificate may be provisionally admitted to school and granted up to thirty (30) days within which to present an official certified birth certificate.

International Families: If a birth certificate is not available, international families must show proof of a child’s birth such as a passport, pink or green card, baptismal certificate with a birth date, federal I-94 card with birth date, or copies of permanent records that verify the child’s age from another U.S.A. school district. (A “Notarized Parental Statement” form may be used to verify the birthdate of a student only when other documents are not available.)

2. Georgia Certificate of Ear, Eye, and Dental Examinations. The official Georgia EED certificate (State Form # 3300) may be obtained from a private Health Care Provider or a county health department. No appointment is necessary.

3. Georgia Certificate of Immunization. The official Georgia immunization certificate (State Form # 3231) may be obtained from a private Health Care Provider or a county health department, vital records department.

4. Proof of Residence. Proof of residence is required so that a child may be assigned to a school in his/her school zone. Any one of the following items will meet the requirement as long as it contains the name of the parent/guardian, and a street address (a post office box is unacceptable): current telephone, gas, water, electric or cable bill on proper letterhead.

5. Official Social Security Card. The State of Georgia has enacted certain legal requirements involving furnishing the social security number of all students enrolled or seeking enrollment in this school district. A parent may comply with this law by exhibiting the official copy of the child’s social security number to the principal or objecting to the incorporation of a social security number in the child’s records by signing a waiver form which will be furnished by the school. A permanent student identification number shall be assigned in each case in which the social security number is not furnished.

The following items are helpful but not immediately required to enroll:

Withdrawal Slip From Previous School Attended.
Health Records.Psychological Evaluation.
Current IEP.

For more information about entrance requirements,please contact the Director of Student Services.