GA HB821

New residents of a local school system in Georgia must enroll their children (ages 6-16) in a public school, private school, or home study program within 15 days of establishing residency, or by the school start date if residency is established before school begins

Failure to enroll a child as required is classified as a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days imprisonment, and failure to send an already-enrolled child to school carries a fine of $25 to $100, up to 30 days imprisonment, community service, or a combination thereof

Local school system officials or other persons are required to report to the appropriate enforcement agency any parent, guardian, or other person whose child has accumulated 30 or more unexcused absences; reporting is permissive for lesser attendance violations

No violation occurs unless a child has accumulated five or more unexcused days of absence; each additional day after the school notifies the parent of five unexcused absences constitutes a separate offense, with notification by certified mail required after two failed contact attempts

The bill explicitly prohibits the State Board of Education, local boards, or enforcement agencies from imposing any additional requirements on private schools or home study programs beyond those specifically included in the statute