The gate: State application plus accreditation, then platform registration
What the rules actually say
We have not found a single sentence on the official sources that states the requirement cleanly enough to quote, so we are not going to invent one. The sequence below comes from our own state-by-state research, and every source is linked at the bottom for you to read yourself.
The sequence, in order
1. Form the entity + EIN. Establish the private school as a legal entity with an EIN to serve as the Odyssey payee.
2. Operate as a Georgia private school. Operate under laws applicable to GA private schools; participation doesn’t require changing admission or employment policies.
3. Be accredited or in the accreditation process (STATE GATE). Be accredited, or actively in the process, with a GESA-recognized accreditor — the central participation gate.
4. Demonstrate fiscal soundness. Show one full school year of operation OR submit a financial information report to GESA.
5. Meet health/safety & antidiscrimination rules. Comply with federal antidiscrimination law and health/safety codes for private schools; secure facility approvals.
6. Apply to GESA as a participating school (STATE GATE). Submit the participating-private-school application to GESA and be approved/listed.
7. Register on Odyssey, test & get paid. Create the school account on Odyssey for quarterly disbursements; annually administer a GESA-approved norm-referenced test and report results.
Where founders actually stall
Georgia asks for accreditation as part of eligibility. Accreditation is itself a months-long process with its own site visit, so a founder who treats it as a formality loses a year.
What we have not verified
Which accrediting bodies Georgia currently recognizes for this purpose, and their timelines. Confirm with the state before choosing an accreditor.
We would rather say this than guess. Everything above that is stated as fact carries a link to the primary source, so you can check us.
Sources
Get set up in Georgia
Get set up in Georgia
Georgia puts a state approval step in front of the money, so setup here takes more work than in a state without that gate. Both options are one-time. We never take a cut of your tuition.
Launch Kit · $1,450. Your Georgia playbook: every step in the right order, the document each one needs, and the operator tools (roster, attendance, tuition billing, evidence vault). You do the filing.
Get the Launch Kit · $1,450
Concierge · $2,950. Everything in the Launch Kit, plus we do the ESA-vendor registration with you in a working session, inside Georgia’s own platform.
Get Concierge · $2,950
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Free: the Georgia starter checklist
Free: the Georgia microschool starter checklist
Where to begin, what your state requires, and how funding works. No fluff.