The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement has taken down a list of low-performing public schools for a second time while “validating additional data.”
The list determines which students are eligible for the Promise Schools voucher program, which will give up to $6,500 to families to pay for private school tuition or home-school expenses. Gov. Brian Kemp signed the voucher bill into law earlier this year.
In a report from WSB-TV, the OSA said it wants to look at more data before reposting the list, which was originally posted on Nov. 27 before being quickly removed and reposted on Dec. 1.
“GOSA is currently validating additional data to ensure accuracy of the Promise Scholarship school list,” OSA said in a statement posted by WSB. “The list has been removed from the website while validation is underway. A verified list will be posted as soon as validation is completed.”
The list posted on Dec. 1 (which you can still see below) includes 45 schools in DeKalb County, 31 for Atlanta Public Schools, and eight for Fulton County.
Voucher-eligible students must be zoned for a public school in the bottom 25% for academic achievement. The student must also have attended a low-performing public school for at least two consecutive semesters or entering kindergarten.
The student’s parent or parents must have been a Georgia resident for at least a year unless they are on active duty in the military. Priority will go to families who earn less than four times the federal poverty level.
The Promise School voucher program is expected to begin accepting applications from parents in early 2025, according to WSB.