General Administrative Transfer (GAT)

Parents may apply to any number of schools that are accepting submissions. Our office recommends applying to at least three schools accepting transfers.

Proof of residency (refer to the living scenarios listed below) should be submitted with your General Administrative transfer application. The person, with whom the student lives must submit proof of residency, dated within the last 30 days, and must show parent/guardian legal name and street address. 

Please note: a P.O. Box is not accepted as a resident address.

Carefully read the scenarios listed below, and provide the documents that apply to your child’s living situation. You may bring copies with you or request copies to be made at the time you submit your application. 

Possible Living Situation #1  
If you own and live in the resident property, you will need to provide: 

• Photo identification; 

•  A deed or a mortgage statement in your name showing residence/ property address; 

•  A Georgia Power bill (current within 30 days) in your name for the current month, showing the residence property 

Possible Living Situation #2 
If you rent and live in the rental property, you will need to provide: 

• Photo identification; 

•  Copy of Lease/Rental Agreement (or current HUD Certificate of Compliance/Annual Renew Notice); 

•  A Georgia Power bill (current within 30 days) showing the residence property address

Possible Living Situation #3 
If you are living at a property with the owner or being rented by another person, you will need to provide 

•  Photo identification; 

•  A deed, mortgage statement, or Lease/Rental Agreement (or current HUD Certificate of Compliance/Annual Renewal Notice) in the owner or primary renter's name and showing residence property address;

• Georgia Power bill (current within 30 days); 

• Supporting Document

LIST OF ACCEPTABLE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

• Current Georgia driver's license or Georgia identification card if the address on the identification is the same as the residential address

• Bank statement, loan documents, credit card statement, monthly activity statement, voided check

• Home mortgage payment book

• Health insurance, previously issued W‐2 or Form 1099, pay stub

• Fulton County property tax statement with evidence thereupon of payment

• Voter registration documentation from Fulton County

• A current motor vehicle registration (tag receipt)

• Cable bill, Telephone or Cell Phone bill, Gas bill

• Receipt to have utilities connected

• Mail delivered by the United States Postal Service other than general mail addressed to the occupant or resident

Transfers are available to families that prefer to attend an APS school outside of their neighborhood or zoned school. 

Parents will be notified if their application has been approved or denied on or before May 22, 2026.

Every effort will be made to honor your choice requests. However, since general administrative transfers and special need transfers are limited by available classroom space at each school, there is no guarantee that every application will be approved.

Siblings are not given priority in the administrative transfer process. A parent must submit a separate application for each child.

An administrative transfer is effective through the highest grade of the transfer school. Parents of rising sixth and ninth-graders must apply for the next school level in the spring during the child’s fifth and eighth-grade years. Approved general administrative transfers do not apply to feeder patterns, you must submit a new application when your student matriculates to middle school or high school, if you wish to attend a school other than your zoned school. 

APS welcomes all parents who would like to apply for a general administrative transfer. If your application is approved, the parent or legal guardian will be required to pay tuition. The Atlanta Board of Education sets the tuition rate each school year based on the cost to educate a child in the district. 

For current general administrative transfer tuition rates, send an email to:

 studentassignment@atlanta.k12.ga.us or call 404-802-2233.

General administrative transfers are granted based upon classroom availability. If the number of applications for a given school exceeds the number of available spaces, a random lottery is conducted to provide each interested student with an equal chance for admission.

School capacity is reviewed each year. The superintendent then determines which schools have available classroom space and are eligible to accept school choice transfers.

Schools with 90 percent or above the facility’s planning capacity (based upon current year or projected enrollment) are ineligible to accept general administrative transfers for the following school year. If attendance zone growth projections show that a school will reach or exceed 90 percent capacity within any school year in which a transfer is valid, that school becomes ineligible to accept general administrative transfers.

Available transfer spaces in schools with capacity will be determined based on the number of projected spaces available in each class at each grade level, not to exceed the state class size maximums. School choice transfers will not be offered which would result in projected class sizes above the state class size maximums even in years in which the Atlanta Board of Education and Georgia Board of Education approve a waiver of the state class size maximums. School choice transfers will not be offered that would result in an increase in the number of teachers allocated to the receiving school. Schools with portable classrooms or temporary satellite site locations to relieve overcrowding, shall not be deemed to have available classroom space.

A parent may request a transfer for a child who has an IEP. If a parent requests a transfer to a school that does not offer services required by a current IEP or Individualized Accommodation Plan, the district is not required to develop those services at the requested school.

Notice: A student with disabilities who applied will need to have his or her individualized educational program (IEP) or Section 504 plan evaluated to determine if capacity on the special education program and services required under the IEP or 504 plans are available at the school. The district is not required to add program capacity and services to a school. If services and program capacity are not available your transfer may be denied.

A general administrative transfer request may be denied for the following reasons:

• Lack of classroom capacity of the school based on established health and safety provisions;

• Class-size capacity by grade and subject, based on state law and rule; or

• Lack of capacity based on choice for students required under federal law (e.g., students transferring from Needs Improvement schools or unsafe schools under No Child Left Behind; for students with disabilities whose IEP or IAP requests placement at a particular school).

No. Parents who receive a general administrative transfer assume all responsibility and cost of transporting their child to and from school in a timely manner.

Students and parents should be aware that school transfers may affect the student’s eligibility to participate in athletic and extracurricular activities, which are governed by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA). Parents should verify whether GHSA requirements may affect their child’s eligibility before submitting a school transfer request. 

For more information:

GHSA Transfer Rules

Georgia High School Association Website

Yes. Employees must apply through the general administrative transfer process. State law allows children of school-based employees to attend the school district where the employee works. Due to APS board regulations, the employee must complete a worksite transfer application.

Student of Employee Transfers