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MACON, Ga. — As students across Central Georgia settle into classrooms, not all of them returned to familiar hallways. For some families, the new school year meant a fresh start because they received the Georgia Promise Scholarship.
Nearly 9,000 families statewide are using the program, which provides up to $6,500 per student to help offset the cost of private education. In Bibb County, 582 families received the scholarship, while 144 families in Houston County were approved.
Among them is Haleigh Peacock, a mother of two from Macon. Her daughters, Sadie and Callie, started the year at Windsor Academy after previously attending Heard Elementary in Bibb County Schools. Peacock said she worried about talk of consolidation and crowded classrooms in the public system.
“Without Georgia Promise, our children would not be able to attend private school,” Peacock said. “It’s just an expense that’s a little out of budget, but with the help of Georgia Promise, both of our kids are able to attend private school and get a better education.”
She said her daughters have already adjusted to the new environment.
“They’ve been in school a little over two weeks now, and they’ve met friends, they love their teachers, their teachers interact with us,” she said.
In Warner Robins, Destiny Randle chose a different path for her kindergartner, Kairo. He now spends three days a week at The Attuned Community School, a microschool that focuses on small classes and flexible, hands-on learning.
“He is moving and grooving all the time — he learns by doing,” Randle said. “Fortunately with that school they take them out, they have lots of interactive experiences. The learning is not traditional. They can sit in small groups, they can sit on the floor, they can sit on a beanbag chair.”
Both families say the scholarship made private school financially possible, covering most of their tuition bills. While most recipients selected private schools, some families opted for homeschooling or tutoring options.
The third application cycle for Georgia Promise opened this week and runs through Sept. 30. Families can apply online to be considered for the next round of scholarships.