Frequently Asked Questions in GCPS

We are aware that some families have questions and concerns regarding Lifetouch, a photography vendor used by some schools. We understand that anything related to student safety and privacy is important to families, and we appreciate you reaching out and sharing your concerns.

Out of an abundance of caution, Gwinnett County Public Schools has reviewed any current or open contracts with Lifetouch. These agreements clearly affirm the vendor’s obligation to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and all other applicable federal and state privacy laws. Protecting student information and ensuring the safety of students remain our highest priorities.

It is important for families to know:

• Only a small number of our schools currently have active contracts with Lifetouch. Those contracts are fully compliant with privacy standards. 

• All vendors who work in our schools, including photographers, are required to meet the same standards for student safety, supervision, and privacy compliance.

• Families may choose to opt their child out of all media, including school and yearbook photographs, regardless of who the vendor is taking the photos by contacting their child’s school directly. School staff can assist with this request at any time.

For additional information, families may review Lifetouch’s statement here: https://schools.lifetouch.com/blog/a-message-from-ceo-ken-murphy-on-student-privacy/

We know that rumors or incomplete information can be unsettling. Please be assured that we carefully review vendor agreements, monitor compliance, and follow established laws and district procedures designed to safeguard students.

If you have questions or would like assistance with an opt-out request, please contact your child’s school. We value the trust you place in our schools and remain committed to providing a safe, respectful, and secure learning environment for every student.

GCPS uses several layers of protection to help keep students safe online while still allowing access to learning resources.

What protections are in place at school?
All devices connected to district Wi-Fi are protected by a secure network filter that blocks harmful or inappropriate websites and is updated daily.

Are Chromebooks filtered at home too?
Yes. District-issued Chromebooks have a built-in filter that works anywhere—at home, in public places, or on personal hotspots.

How are new or unknown websites handled?
New or uncategorized sites may be blocked by default for a short period while they are reviewed. This helps prevent exposure to unsafe content.

What about Google searches and YouTube?
Student accounts include:

• Google SafeSearch to filter explicit search results

• YouTube Restricted Mode

• Additional protections that disable comments, uploads, live streaming, and personalized ads

What happens when new concerns arise?
When issues are identified, the district:

• Works with filtering providers

• Uses additional blocking tools when needed

• Continues monitoring and adjusting protections

How can families help?
Families can:

• Talk with students about responsible technology use

• Monitor use at home when possible

• Report concerns to their child’s school

Working together helps keep students safe and focused on learning.

Our Commitment to Students and Families
GCPS wants every family to feel confident that their children are learning in safe, caring, and supportive environments. Families can expect that:

• All GCPS schools remain welcoming and supportive learning environments for every student.
• GCPS staff are trained to protect student records and follow all district safety procedures and policies.
• The district does not ask for or document information about the immigration status of any student or family.  It is important to understand that, by law, a child's immigration status (or that of their parents) does not affect their right to receive a public education.
• Student records are private and will not be shared with any outside agency without proper legal documentation required by law.
• GCPS will continue to follow all applicable state and federal laws and district policies. We also follow clear guidelines about who is allowed to contact students during the school day.

Support for Students

GCPS understands that even hearing about immigration enforcement actions can be frightening or stressful for students. The district encourages families to reach out to their child’s school if their student feels anxious or unsure. School counselors, teachers, and trusted adults are prepared to offer support and care.

Support for Schools and Staff 

Additionally, information, resources, and talking points are regularly shared with school leaders and staff, including reminders of Policy K-General Public Relations: Visitors to Schools, Policy L-Interorganizational Relations: Police Interrogations and Investigations, and GCPS Procedures for Visits by Law Enforcement Officials. 

GCPS Procedures if Law Enforcement or Immigration Officials Come to a School
1. Greet, pause, and immediately notify the principal (or designee if principal is offsite).

• Treat agents respectfully, as you would any visitor, but do not provide access beyond the main office or vestibule and do not share any information.
• Suggested language: “Welcome. We require all visitors to sign in. I need to contact our principal to assist you further. Please have a seat while I do so.”
• Important reminders:
  • Ask the officials to wait in the main office or vestibule.
  • Do not permit access beyond that area until identity is verified, and the principal (or designee) is involved.
  • After identity is confirmed, the principal or designee may escort the agent to a private room to continue the conversation.

2. Notify district leadership

• Make a copy of the agent’s ID.
• The principal or designee must immediately contact the Chief of Staff at: (678) 301-6006 or (770) 375-6201.
• Do not provide student, family, or staff information. FERPA protects student records. No student record may be released without proper legal documentation and approval from the district office.

3. If an agent requests access or information

• If the agent asks to enter the school beyond the main office:
  • “We will cooperate within the boundaries of the law, but to ensure minimal disruption, please have a seat until the principal arrives.”
• If the agent asks to speak with students or requests student information:
  • “Student records are protected by FERPA. We cannot share any personal or educational information about students or families without a court order or legal requirement.”
• If the agent presents a judicial warrant (for a student or an adult): “May I make a copy? To ensure we comply with the law and protect our students, we will need to contact the district’s legal counsel to review the situation and provide guidance.”
• The principal or designee should then:
  • Make a copy or scan of the warrant.
  • Document:
    • Agent’s name
    • Badge number
    • Agency
    • Time and date of the visit
    • Purpose of the visit and summary of the request

4. Reporting and follow-up

• Email the scanned judicial warrant and documentation to the Chief of Staff at: jorge.gomez@gcpsk12.org.
• Then call (678) 301-6006 or (770) 375-6201 to confirm receipt.
• The District Office will contact legal counsel to verify the warrant and provide next steps.
• When possible, staff will make an effort to notify parents or guardians if officials request to interview their child.

Additional Resources and Information

Read the most recent districtwide communication from Dr. Taylor, shared in November 2025.

Board Policies are available on our website. 

Please refer to this page for information about addressing concerns at your school. 

Kindergarten registration does not open until the week of March 16, 2026 for the 2026-27 school year.

Please note that students must be five years old on or  before  September 1, 2025, to register for the kindergarten 2026-27 school year.

Check here for the latest news, surveys, event details, and more. 

In the middle grades, students take part in a three-year sequence of earth science, life science, and physical science. 

In high school, students will complete a four-year sequence of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, plus either elective courses and/or AP courses. 

Learn more about 6-12 Science and 8th Grade Milestones

You can now submit information regarding recent absences, such as doctor's notes, in ParentVUE.

E-SPLOST stands for Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. This one-cent sales tax ensures that one-cent of every dollar spent on retail purchases in Gwinnett County funds school renovations, modifications, expansions and improvements. Everyone who shops in Gwinnett County, including visitors, contributes to maintaining our schools. E-SPLOST provides a dedicated source of funding for school improvements, without raising property taxes on Gwinnett County residents and businesses.

Since 1997, E-SPLOST has been the primary funding source for K-12 capital renewal in all Metro Atlanta school districts, including Gwinnett.

An E-SPLOST must be approved by a majority of county voters. The November 2020 referendum that continued the existing E-SPLOST to fund GCPS capital needs was approved by 76.6% of voters. The current E-SPLOST will end in 2026. Voters will decide whether to renew it for another five years. Learn more about E-SPLOST. 

Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) acknowledges the Dear Colleague Letter issued on February 14, 2025 by the United States Department of Education’s Office For Civil Rights (OCR). In light of this guidance from OCR, we will review our programs, practices, and policies to ensure compliance with all existing civil rights laws. In doing so, GCPS will continue our efforts to provide a world-class education for each and every student.

Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) is required by law to verify the address of each and every student who attends our schools. This annual process, detailed on the district’s website, ensures students attend their zoned schools. Address verification helps maintain balanced enrollment, preventing overcrowding and ensuring optimal learning environments. It also ensures that resources like teachers, materials, and funding are allocated appropriately, supporting balanced class sizes and individualized attention.

Last spring, GCPS informed parents and guardians that students enrolled under specific conditions—Residency Affidavit, Permissive Transfer, Kinship Caregiver Affidavit, Homeless, or Foster Care—would need to renew their forms with proof of residency. GCPS recognizes that this requirement can be challenging for families whose family members or landlords are not locally available. District and local school leaders are actively working with these families to find solutions that meet district requirements and state law. We encourage families to continue working with their local schools to resolve any issues.

No. We have not changed the Permissive Transfer process. Families may request permissive transfers to the schools on the district’s permissive transfer list.

For additional information about GCPS’ permissive transfer process and the form to request a transfer, contact the local school your child is zoned to attend.

• General information concerning GCPS’ permissive Transfer Process
• Gwinnett schools accepting a permissive transfer (1st Semester, 2024-25)
• Timeline for requesting a permissive transfer
• Gwinnett County Board of Education notice about Permissive Transfer
• Procedures for Implementing Transfer Policy to Schools within the District

GCPS (Gwinnett County Public Schools), like many other districts across the State and nation, has designated attendance boundaries for each school within our district. The Permissive Transfer Process allows students to transfer from their attendance zoned school to another school in the district that is on the permissive transfer list.

For additional information about GCPS’ permissive transfer process and the form to request a transfer, contact the local school your child is zoned to attend.

• General information concerning GCPS’ permissive Transfer Process
• Gwinnett schools accepting a permissive transfer (2nd Semester, 2023-24 and 1st Semester, 2024-25)
• Timeline for requesting a permissive transfer
• Gwinnett County Board of Education notice about Permissive Transfer
• Procedures for Implementing Transfer Policy to Schools within the District

Yes, annually, all parents have the opportunity to review the Handbook Information for Students and Families, which includes our media release. 

If you do submit in writing to your principal to opt your student out of photos and videos from GCPS, please note that your written notice will be effective for the current school year only and must be renewed on an annual basis should you wish to continue to opt out of the release of photographs and recordings.

Please also note that Gwinnett County Public Schools will not be responsible for, and cannot control, photographs, audio recordings, or video recordings captured by individuals who are not employed by, affiliated with, or under contract with Gwinnett County Public Schools.

Please contact your local school administration or technology team if you have further questions regarding this topic.

Below are the links to the resources to support Health instruction that we have been piloting in Gwinnett County Public Schools:

1. Goodheart Wilcox: https://bit.ly/GwinnettCohealth

2. ETR: https://www.etr.org/healthsmart/

Username: GCPSReview2022@gcpsk12.org

Password: Review2022

Gwinnett’s standards for grades K–12 are called the Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) and are aligned to the state-adopted Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies for students at all grade levels. Gwinnett’s AKS are rigorous standards that prepare students for college and 21st century careers in a globally competitive future.

The AKS standards for each grade level spell out the essential concepts students are expected to know and skills they should acquire in that grade or subject. The AKS offer a solid base on which teachers build rich learning experiences. Teachers use curriculum guides, technology, and instructional resources to teach the AKS and to make sure each and every student is learning to his or her potential.

The Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) standards were developed by our teachers, with input from our parents and community, in response to Gwinnett County Public Schools’ mission statement: The mission of Gwinnett County Public Schools is to pursue excellence in academic knowledge, skills, and behavior for each student resulting in measured improvement against local, national, and world-class standards.

Learn more about the AKS. 

Yes. Parents or legal guardians have the option of removing their child from the human sexuality unit at each grade level.  Prior to the parent or legal guardian making a choice to allow his or her child to take the specified unit of instruction, he or she shall be told what instruction is to be provided and have the opportunity to review all instructional materials to be used, print and non-print.  

Parents or legal guardians must notify the principal in writing if they choose to remove their child from the unit. An alternative assignment will be provided for those who opt out of this instruction. 

Learn more about Health and Physical Education in GCPS. 

Gwinnett County Public Schools finds that the quickest and most effective way to resolve a concern regarding your child is by addressing it at the most direct level.

In our school district, we care about each and every student. We also believe that open and honest communication between parents and teachers is a key to student success. Thank you for partnering with your child’s teacher and school to address any concerns.

1. Teacher - First, talk to your child’s teacher or a counselor at school for assistance. Most concerns are resolved at the classroom level.
    
2. Assistant Principal - If the concern is not resolved at the classroom level, please visit with your child’s assistant principal.
    
3. Principal - If working with the AP does not adequately address the issue, please meet with the school principal.
    
4. Cluster Superintendent If the issue persists, please call 678-301-6000, and ask to speak to the cluster superintendent who is assigned to the school your child attends.
    
5. Chief of Schools If, after following steps one through four, your concern has not been resolved to your satisfaction, please contact the Chief of Schools for School Improvement and Operations.

Other Resources
If you are experiencing an emergency, dial 9-1-1. The GCPS Hotline for anonymous reporting of potential violence is 770-822-6513. If you have a non-emergency criminal concern, please contact local law enforcement.

Please select one of the files below for a downloadable view of this information:

• English
• Español

Career opportunities in Gwinnett County Public Schools, the largest employer in the county and one of the largest employers in the state, are available online. With GCPS' online application process, prospective employees have a more efficient way to find employment opportunities in Gwinnett County Public Schools. Online, applicants can learn more about available jobs, apply for those positions, and track their progress throughout the application process all with 24/7 access from any computer with an Internet connection. If you have questions or need technical assistance, call the HR Customer Support Center at 678-301-6161 during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday).

Attendance zones for Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) are determined by geographical boundaries called clusters. Within each cluster, there are three to six elementary schools, one or two middle schools, and one high school. Attendance lines drawn within the cluster’s boundaries determine which elementary or middle school in the cluster a student attends. To find which school your child will attend, use the GCPS SchoolLocator.

GCPS has a number of facilities and programs for which attendance is not determined by cluster. These include:

• ADAPT (special education school)
• GIVE Center East (alternative school)
• GIVE Center West (alternative school)
• Gwinnett County Online Campus (district online school)
• Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology
• Maxwell High School of Technology (career and technical education program)
• Monarch School (special education school)
• New Life Academy of Excellence (charter school)
• North Metro Academy of Performing Arts (themed elementary school, gr. K-5)
• Oakland Meadow School (special education school)
• Phoenix High School (open campus school) 
• STRIVE (special education school)
• The BRIDGE (special education school)

Registration for newcomers is held weekdays, year-round, at all elementary, middle, and high schools. Please call your local school for an appointment. To find out which school your child will attend, use GCPS School Locator.

I am a new parent to GCPS enrolling a new student

I already have a ParentVUE account and I’m enrolling a new student

Kindergarten Registration

Please review GCPS registration information for more information. To order your child's Georgia birth certificate online, please visit the state's ROVER (Request Official Vital Events Records) website.

Both the immunization form (Georgia Form #3231) and the medical form (Georgia Form #3300) are available from the health department and through most Georgia doctors and dentists.

For Georgia Form #3300, letters from appropriate healthcare professionals and out-of-state certificates are acceptable, if completed within the previous 12 months and stapled to the state form. These exams are available at Gwinnett County Health Department locations for a fee.

No. Only health departments and physicians licensed in Georgia can obtain blank immunization certificates (Form #3231). Take your child's personal immunization record to a Georgia health department or Georgia doctor and they can complete the form and give any required vaccines. A fee may be charged for completing paperwork or for administering required immunizations.

Blank medical forms are available only to health departments and doctors and dentists licensed in Georgia. However, letters from appropriate healthcare professionals and out-of-state certificates are acceptable for the medical form (#3300), if completed within the previous 12 months and stapled to the state form. Vision, hearing, and dental, and nutrition screening exams are available at Gwinnett Health Department locations for a fee.

Gwinnett's Academic Knowledge and Skills or AKS is the essential curriculum for grades K-12 in Gwinnett schools. It spells out precisely what students are expected to learn and be able to do in each grade/subject. Developed by Gwinnett educators with input from more than 5,000 parents and citizens, it was initially adopted in 1996 and is reviewed annually. The AKS for each grade level and content area is available on the district website.

Students in Gwinnett County Public Schools participate in standardized tests for their grade level throughout the year. These tests, when used as part of a comprehensive assessment program that includes homework, projects, classwork, teacher-developed tests, and other local assessments, help parents and teachers measure student achievement.

Learn more about Gwinnett's assessment program.