Governor Nathan Deal signed House Bill 91 into law on March 30, thereby creating new code section, O.C.G.A. §20-2-281.1. This law provided that students shall no longer be required to earn a passing score on any graduation tests to earn a high school diploma. The law also contains additional details and requirements regarding the ability of students no longer enrolled to petition the local board of education for a diploma and a requirement for local school systems to advertise the availability of this opportunity for students whose sole reason for not receiving a high school diploma was due to not passing any part of the graduations tests.
As of April 6, 2015, the Central Enrollment Center of the Coffee County School System, located at 1303 South Peterson Ave, adjacent to the Career Academy and Alternative School, has begun accepting petition forms from students who enrolled in the 9th grade after July 1, 1981, satisfied all course requirements and who met the following conditions:
· no longer enrolled in a Georgia public school;
· was denied graduation solely for failing to achieve a passing score on one or more portions of the Georgia High School Graduation Tests or its predecessor or the Georgia High School Writing Test or its predecessor;
· meet the eligibility requirements for a high school diploma pursuant to O.C.G.A. §20-2-281.1 based upon the year the student entered the 9th grade for the first time.
If petitioners meet these conditions, they can go to coffee.k12.ga.us and complete a one-page petitioner form. The completed and signed petitioner form along with a scanned/copied image of government issued identification can be delivered or mailed to the Coffee County School System Central Enrollment Center, Attention: Record Petitions, 1303 South Peterson Avenue, Douglas, Georgia, 31533.
The petitioner’s cumulative school record will be reviewed to determine if all requirements have been met. Petitioners will be notified regarding the final status of the petition. If all requirements have been met, information will be included regarding diploma pick up. As of this date, there is no deadline for a petition to be submitted.
For more information please contact the Central Enrollment Center at (912) 389-6890 or visit our website, coffee.k12.ga.us.
– Submitted copy