Gifted Atlanta

As reported by Martha Dalton in today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Fulton County Schools is accepting applications from people outside the county for three of its high-performing — yet underenrolled — high schools. Out-of-county attendees will be charged tuition, but if your child is at a high-school that’s not working well for them and you’ve thought about moving them to a private school, the cost to attend these Fulton schools is a fraction of typical private-school tuition.

The available schools are North Springs High School in Sandy Springs, Northview High School in Johns Creek, and Global Impact Academy in Fairburn.

According to the article, the majority of enrolled students at all three of these schools take Advanced Placement or dual enrollment classes. This is important for high-achieving students, because when lots of students take AP classes, schools tend to offer a wider variety of AP courses.

In addition to its standard curriculum, North Springs houses two magnet programs: one for math and science, and the other for visual and performing arts. Global Impact Academy is a STEM magnet school.

Tuition for non-Fulton residents is $11,000 per year or $5,500 per semester, which is a lot to attend a public school, but far less than the area’s prestigious private schools. As a comparison, annual tuition at Pace Academy, Lovett, and Westminster is over $40,000 per year; Paideia and Atlanta International School charge more than $30,000 per year; and Fulton Science Academy is over $25,000 per year.

As you would expect, students attending these schools from outside the attendance zone have to provide their own transportation.

The application period for the fall semester goes through September 30, which surprises me, because school is scheduled to begin August 3. If you’re sure you want your child to attend one of these schools in the coming school year, I suggest submitting your application soon, so they can begin school there on the first day. But with the window to apply remaining open through September, if your child starts school in August and you find their school isn’t a good fit, you’d still have time to try to move to one of these Fulton County high schools.

To learn more, visit the Find Your Future page on the Fulton County Schools website.

You can find Martha Dalton’s story here, but note that the AJC has a paywall for articles.

Midtown International School, metro Atlanta’s only private school specifically for gifted children, has announced it will permanently close this Friday, April 3.

In an official statement, the school said it was under finanacial strain caused by decreased enrollment and increased requests for financial aid, “making continued operations unsustainable.”

Life-long educator Kristy Beam is in the planning stages of creating Georgia Accelerated Career Academy, a public charter school that will allow students in grades 6 to 12 to prepare for careers in healthcare and medicine. On Tuesday, October 22, she’ll host an online informational session, and she’s hoping parents of gifted students will tune in and provide feedback.

Beam, who has worked as a teacher, administrator, and assistant superintendent in the metro Atlanta area, envisions a school where students begin exploring healthcare careers in middle school, work toward certifications as underclassmen, and ultimately earn an associate’s degree while in high school. From there, students could go directly into a healthcare career or embark on further studies in medicine.

The ability to earn an associate’s degree while in high school is available to public school students in Georgia through the Accelerated Career Diploma program, but Beam says it isn’t offered at all schools, and it’s usually suggested only to students who are struggling to stay on track to graduate, not advanced learners. Beam notes that some gifted students become disengaged from typical academic classes, and they might benefit from a program that lets them start pursuing an interest in healthcare and medicine while in high school.

To learn more about the plans for the school, visit https://www.gaaca.net/. To register for the information session, go to the event page.

Located in the downtown Decatur area, Lighthouse Prep is a small, independent school serving grades 2 through 12 that gives students greater autonomy to choose what they learn and at what pace.

Students pick their courses from an online learning platform that school founder Mikala Streeter compares to Coursera. Streeter says it’s ideal for gifted kids, because they can choose a class that matches their interest and mastery level, even if they’re the only child in the school who wants to take that specific class, and even if the school year is already underway.

The school also emphasizes hands-on projects, which likewise match students’ level of expertise and personal interests.

In addition to its full-time program, Lighthouse Prep offers a homeschool hybrid option, where students attend the school one to three days per week.

Midtown International School invites parents and teachers to attend an online presentation about gifted children and how they learn, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024 at 7 p.m.

The one-hour webinar will cover signs of giftedness, types of gifted learners, and strategies to support gifted children’s intellectual and social growth.

Registration for the webinar is required for all attendees.

Midtown International School is an independent school in northeast Atlanta that caters specifically to gifted children in kindergarten through 12th grade.