The list of eligible public school zones isn’t complete, but several local private and parochial schools have already opened their doors to the Georgia Promise Scholarship program.
Monday, Georgia Promise Scholarship approved 244 schools to participate in the scholarship program. The program allows families to obtain $6,500 vouchers to attend private schools or homeschool, if their child is zoned to attend a poor-performing school.
In early December, the state released a list of the low-performing schools that included 42 Richmond County schools – nearly all of them except the system’s magnets – then pulled the list down, saying it needed further study. Only one Columbia County school made the list.
The list of eligible zones remains unpublished, but in the meantime, the state has approved many private and parochial schools to participate in the program.
The program’s application portal opens March 1 for the 2025-2026 school year. Families may be awarded up to $6,500 per student for the first year, placed in an education savings account.
Priority consideration will be given to families living at or below 400% of the federal poverty level. There is a cap on state funding, making only about 21,500 students initially eligible for the program.
Augusta private schools participating in the program include Aquinas High School, Augusta Christian School, Episcopal Day School, Heritage Academy, Immaculate Conception Catholic School, Soar Academy and Westminster Schools.
Participating schools in Martinez include Adventist Christian School, Augusta Science Academy, Challenge Preparatory Academy and Community Christian Academy. Grovetown schools include Savannah River Academy.
Participating Private Schools December 30 2024 by Susan McCord on Scribd
