Choose Cobb
Frequently Asked Questions
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About Choose Cobb
Choose Cobb is a tuition-based program that allows students who live outside the Cobb County School District to apply for available seats at participating Cobb County schools. Students accepted for Spring 2027 will begin classes Jan. 5, 2027.
Choose Cobb gives out-of-district families another option and benefits families inside Cobb County by putting open seats, in existing classrooms, to use. Additional funds received through both tuition and state funding supports the school in your corner of Cobb County.
Twelve schools in four clusters are participating for Spring 2027:
- Cluster 1: Harrison High, Lost Mountain Middle, and Vaughan Elementary
- Cluster 2: Allatoona High, Durham Middle, and Pickett’s Mill Elementary
- Cluster 3: South Cobb High, Cooper Middle, and Clarkdale Elementary
- Cluster 4: Kell High, Palmer Middle, and Kennesaw Elementary
A participating school may have available seats in some grades, classes, or programs and not have any in others.
For Spring 2027, tuition is $600 per semester. There is no application fee.
Tuition is $600 per semester and is billed one semester at a time. Payment is due in full within seven days of the acceptance letter.
No. Tuition is currently nonrefundable. This includes students who withdraw during the semester or who are no longer eligible to remain enrolled.
Visits and Contact
Yes. To schedule a visit or arrange a tour, call the school directly using the contact information on each school's profile page.
For questions about eligibility, applications, tuition, and application status, contact the Choose Cobb office.
- Email: choosecobb@cobbk12.org
- Phone: 770-514-2844
Eligibility
Georgia students who live outside the Cobb County School District may apply. Applicants must be in good standing at their current or most recent school, including attendance, behavior, and academic readiness for the grade or program they request.
Applicants must be academically ready for the grade or program they request. The district reviews each applicant’s most recent report card or transcript and any standardized test or assessment scores.
Applicants must have good attendance at their current or most recent school. The district reviews each applicant’s attendance record as part of the application.
Applicants must have a strong conduct record at their current or most recent school. The district reviews each applicant’s discipline record using the standards in the Cobb County Schools Student Code of Conduct and Board Policy.
Yes. Students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 plan may apply. Applications will be reviewed individually in accordance with applicable laws and district requirements. Admission is subject to available space and the ability to provide required services within the participating school’s existing programs and resources.
No. Admission depends on student qualifications and available space in the requested school.
Applying
- For the Spring 2027 semester, applications open in early November and close Nov. 30, 2026.
- For the 2027-28 school year, applications open Jan. 21 and close Feb. 12, 2027.
Families complete one online application per student through the district’s Online Registration System.
Families should submit the following:
- A complete, signed application
- The student’s most recent report card or transcript
- Attendance records
- Discipline records
- Standardized test or assessment scores, if available
- The student’s IEP or 504 plan, if applicable
The Choose Cobb admissions office will verify each application and contact families as needed.
No. The email list sends enrollment news and reminders. Families must submit a separate application, and signing up does not reserve a seat.
Yes. Families may submit applications for more than one child, and each student’s application is reviewed individually. There is no application fee. Tuition is charged only if the student is accepted.
No. Each student’s application is reviewed individually.
Choose Cobb students reapply each year and may choose any participating school with available space. Transfers during the school year are not available.
Review and Decisions
Families applying for Spring 2027 will be notified of their admission decision on or before Dec. 4, 2026.
Families have seven days from the date of the acceptance letter to sign the enrollment contract and submit a tuition payment.
The Choose Cobb admissions office will notify the school, who will contact you. You will then be supported by school staff to complete the district’s registration process and provide any remaining enrollment documents.
Yes. Families receive one reminder during the seven-day window. If tuition is not received or the enrollment contract is not signed within seven days from the date of acceptance, the offer will be rescinded.
No. All admissions decisions are final.
Yes. You can reapply for the following school year when the next application window opens.
Staying Enrolled
Families must sign an enrollment contract. Students must apply each year and meet all enrollment criteria.
Yes. Students apply every year, and returning Choose Cobb families receive priority. Students who enroll for Spring 2027 do not need to reapply for the 2027-28 school year if they meet the terms of the enrollment contract.
Students accepted into Choose Cobb for Spring 2027 may remain enrolled through the end of the 2027-28 school year, provided they meet the terms of their enrollment contract. After the 2027-28 school year, Choose Cobb families must reapply each year and will receive priority consideration.
If your family moves into the Cobb County School District after enrolling through Choose Cobb, your child becomes a district resident and may attend the school assigned to your new address.
Families who wish to remain at their Choose Cobb school may apply for an HB 251 school choice transfer, which is subject to available space and district approval. District residents do not pay Choose Cobb tuition. Tuition already paid is nonrefundable.
Transportation, Athletics, and Programs
No. Families provide transportation to and from school each day, including early-release days and any after-school activities.
Student parking is subject to availability and school rules. Families are responsible for any applicable parking permits and fees.
Offerings vary by school and grade. Acceptance does not guarantee a spot in a specific activity, competition, or program, and some carry fees or their own eligibility rules.
Acceptance to Choose Cobb does not guarantee eligibility for athletics. High school athletic eligibility is governed by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) bylaws, which apply separately from school enrollment. Families should contact the school’s athletic department to determine eligibility before making decisions based on athletics.
No. A “permissive transfer” allows a student to attend a school outside their assigned attendance area but does not guarantee athletic eligibility. Students who transfer without a qualifying change of residence or an applicable GHSA exception may be classified as “migrant students” and be ineligible for varsity competition for one calendar year. This restriction generally begins on the date the student enters the new school. Varsity eligibility depends on the student’s individual circumstances and all applicable GHSA requirements.
Students who are ineligible for varsity competition under GHSA transfer rules may still be eligible to practice and participate in junior varsity or ninth-grade athletics, including multiple sub-varsity sports, provided they meet all other applicable eligibility requirements. Seniors are not eligible for junior varsity competition.
For high school students, the 365-day period begins on the date the student enters the new school. Students who enroll in middle school through Choose Cobb are eligible when they start high school, provided they meet all other GHSA requirements.
No. While the one-year transfer restriction may expire, students must still meet all other GHSA eligibility requirements before participating in varsity competition. Families should work with the school’s athletic department to confirm their child’s eligibility.
No. The district may approve a student’s enrollment, but GHSA rules separately govern varsity athletic eligibility.
Families with questions about a particular student’s eligibility should contact the school’s athletic department or the appropriate district athletics office before making decisions based on participation in sports.
For Spring 2027, magnet admission is not available. For the 2027-28 school year, students may apply for magnet admission any time before Dec. 1, 2026. Acceptance into a magnet program does not automatically guarantee admission into Choose Cobb.
Yes. Choose Cobb students may take online classes through Cobb Virtual Academy at no additional expense and are eligible to participate in dual enrollment.
More about the program
No. Cobb students come first. For Spring 2027, Choose Cobb uses only the remaining seats after all 2026-27 school choice placements are finalized.
Choose Cobb students are placed only in classrooms with available space and within existing class-size limits.
Available space depends on the grade level, class, and program, including class-size limits for programs such as gifted and Early Intervention. A school may not have room in every grade level.
Like most counties across the country, Cobb families are having fewer children and more families who live in Cobb no longer have school-aged children. Families also have more public, private, and charter school options. Across metro Atlanta, 12 of 15 districts have slowed or stalled growth, and some have been forced to close schools and move zoning boundaries. Cobb proudly looks forward to adding Cobb’s high-quality education to the private and charter options available to families across the state of Georgia.
Choose Cobb places students only in classrooms that already have a teacher and space under the grade-level capacity limit. Availability varies by school, grade, and program.
Each Choose Cobb student counts toward the state funding of the school they attend.
Enrollment varies across Cobb. Some areas are growing while others have room. Choose Cobb uses only open seats at the 12 participating schools after every Cobb student choice process is complete, and only within each grade’s capacity limit. Cobb students are placed first every year.
No. Choose Cobb students fill open seats in classrooms that already have a teacher. Each new Choose Cobb student generates additional state funding for the school they attend. Filling open seats brings additional revenue to Cobb schools without adding additional expenses.
Yes. Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-133) allows local school districts to enroll students who live outside their boundaries. Several Georgia school districts, including districts in the metro Atlanta area, offer tuition-based enrollment.
