GA’s school voucher program opens soon. Why don’t parents know which schools are in it?

Families eager to apply for the Georgia Promise Scholarship are facing uncertainty, as the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement has yet to release its revised list of underperforming schools, a key factor in determining student eligibility for the voucher program.

The first application window for the scholarship is set to open on March 1. As confusion looms, state officials await confirmation on which public K-12 schools are eligible for vouchers worth up to $6,500 per year for private school or homeschooling expenses.

“Currently, GOSA does not have an estimated release date for the Promise Act school list,” Laine Reichert, GOSA director of educator leadership and research, said in an email. “We have calculated the list and are waiting for the final steps of approval before we release it.”

Last year, the office released and pulled its list at least twice, eliminating and adding schools both times. The pause sparked controversy about the program, as well as confusion over who qualifies for it.

The Georgia Public Policy Foundation has advocated for the expansion of school choice in the state.

Kyle Wingfield, CEO and president of the group, acknowledged the list’s delay is causing frustration for families and students who are trying to make academic plans for the fall. He assured that state officials are working to resolve any issues ahead of March 1.

“Obviously, the law is very clear that this list is a key component of determining student eligibility, so you’ve got to have it in order for it to move forward,” he said. “We have expressed to various state officials that it’s really important that the lists come out as soon as possible, and they understand that.”

Wingfield added that GOSA is striving for utmost accuracy for its final list. He said the office had difficulty determining which schools belong on the list, highlighting the complexity involved with categorizing alternative schools.

“You might have thought there was just a list somewhere of every school and what type of school it is. But reality is a lot more complicated than that and messier,” he said.

GOSA determined its rankings by analyzing the average College and Career Ready Performance Index scores from the past two school years to identify which Georgia schools ranked in the lowest-performing 25th percentile, Reichert confirmed.

When asked how the GSFC would determine if a student is eligible for the voucher program if the GOSA list isn’t ready by March 1, GOSA Executive Director Joy Hawkins said everything was in a holding mode while issues are sorted out. She also referred The Telegraph to a quote on the GOSA website.

“GOSA is conducting a very careful, thorough, and conscientious analysis and validation process to ensure the school list is accurate. The list will, therefore, be posted at a later date in the new year. We continue to work with key stakeholders on this list.”

While state officials wait, Wingfield said he’s not expecting any dramatic changes to the initial list.

Macon resident Heinz Treiber said the many uncertainties surrounding the voucher program contribute to his skepticism of it. He believes the program could negatively affect funding for public schools, particularly in rural areas.

“I think (the voucher program) is disingenuous for the lower-income families that think this is going to be something that’s going to help them and take care of their needs better because I don’t think it will,” Treiber said.

Wingfield said once the shaky issues are resolved, the program should run more smoothly in the future for interested families.

“I don’t know that anybody anticipated this would be such a significant bump in the road, but it’s a first-year kind of thing,” he said. “We understand it’s frustrating, but we ask for everybody’s patience and not to give up on it.”

Wingfield also noted that there will be additional application windows for families to take advantage of later in the year.

The first application window will run from March 1 to April 15. The following periods are: June 1 to June 30; Sept. 1 to Sept. 30; and Dec. 1 to Jan. 31, 2026.

The initial funding of approved student accounts will be at the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year, according to the Georgia Promise Scholarship website.

“If you believed you were eligible based on the initial list, I would proceed as if you’re probably going to be eligible when the final list comes out,” Wingfield said, speaking to families. “That will probably not be correct for somebody out there, but I think by large, the list will look pretty similar.”

This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 1:22 PM.