Section 20-2-2096.3 - Requirements of completion special schools; student enrollment; waivers or variances(a) Each completion special school shall be a public school and shall: (1) Provide education programs and services to students in grades nine through 12, including, but not limited to: (A) Nontraditional education programs and services for students who are eligible to attend a traditional public school but are more likely to succeed in a nontraditional setting such as that provided in such completion special school;(B) Dropout prevention and academic intervention programs;(C) Programs for high school credit recovery; and(D) Opportunities for students to schedule classes on weekdays, evenings, and weekends;(2) Operate under the supervision and direction of a governing board as provided for in Code Section 20-2-2096.4;(3) Be treated as a single local education agency for administrative purposes, including data reporting, student enrollment counting procedures, student achievement reporting, funding allocations, and related purposes as defined by the state board and consistent with department rules and regulations; and(4) Be the subject of a school report card prepared and distributed by the Office of Student Achievement as provided in Code Section 20-14-34.(b) Only enrollment eligible students shall be enrolled in a completion special school.(c) Students in grades nine through 12 who are enrolled in a school in their resident school system shall be permitted to attend one or more classes in a completion special school's credit recovery, dropout prevention, or academic intervention program on a part-time basis as program students, subject to the following conditions: (1) The completion special school has available classroom space;(2) Such student shall not be included in the count provided for in Code Section 20-2-161 of the completion special school;(3) Such student remains enrolled in his or her resident school system; and(4) Such student's resident school system is party to a current collaborative operating agreement with such completion special school which shall include, but shall not be limited to, provisions for the following: (A) Funding to be provided by the resident school system to the completion special school for program students who attend such school as provided in this subsection, which funding shall be no less than what is required in subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-2096.6;(B) The number and qualifications of student liaisons to be employed by the resident school system to provide academic support and monitoring for program students who attend such school as provided in this subsection and the relevant terms and conditions for how such liaisons will provide such support and monitoring; and(C) Such other requirements as may be established by the state board consistent with this article.(d) The state board shall be authorized to approve a request by a completion special school for a waiver or variance of specifically identified state rules, regulations, policies, and procedures or provisions of this chapter. The goal for each waiver and variance shall be improvement of student performance. The state board shall not be authorized to waive or approve variances on any federal, state, and local rules, regulations, court orders, and statutes relating to civil rights; insurance; the protection of the physical health and safety of school students, employees, and visitors; conflicting interest transactions; the prevention of unlawful conduct; any laws relating to unlawful conduct in or near a public school; the early intervention program provided for in Code Section 20-2-153; any reporting requirements pursuant to Code Section 20-2-320 or Chapter 14 of this title; the requirements of Code Section 20-2-210; the requirements of Code Section 20-2-211.1; or the requirements in subsection (c) of Code Section 20-2-327. A local school system that has received a waiver or variance shall remain subject to the provisions of Part 3 of Article 2 of Chapter 14 of this title, the requirement that it shall not charge tuition or fees to its students except as may be authorized for local boards by Code Section 20-2-133, and shall remain open to enrollment in the same manner as before the waiver request.Added by 2023 Ga. Laws 342,§ 3, eff. 5/4/2023.