Georgia Code Title 49. Social Services § 49-4A-12

(b)(1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the schools within the department shall be under the control of the commissioner who shall serve as the superintendent of schools for such district. The Board of Juvenile Justice shall serve as the board of education for such district.

(2) Any school within the department that is operated by a state charter school pursuant to a contract entered into in accordance with Code Section 20-2-2084.1 shall be under the control of the State Charter Schools Commission and the governing board of the state charter school, subject to any conditions in the contract. Any such school shall not be considered a part of the special school district established pursuant to this Code section.

(c)(1) The schools shall meet the requirements of the law for public schools and rules and regulations of the State Board of Education. It is the intent of this Code section to fund educational services and programs in this special school district so that youth served therein shall receive the same quality and content of educational services as provided to youth in school districts within this state.

(2) The State School Superintendent may grant waivers for such provisions of the laws and regulations with which the schools cannot comply because of their functioning on an annual basis and in response to the commissioner or the commissioner's designee's written request and justification. Such exceptions shall be in writing.

(d)(1) Each teacher in the special school district shall receive annual compensation at the rate specified for the type of certificate held by such teacher based on the appropriate teacher salary schedules established pursuant to Code Section 20-2-212.

(2) This provision shall not act to reduce the compensation currently paid any teacher in the special school district.

(3) To the extent such resources are available, federal funding resources shall be utilized to meet increased costs resulting from implementation of this subsection.

(f)(1) Nothing in the language of this Code section shall be construed as prohibiting any local school district from issuing a diploma to a youth in the custody of the department, upon certification of the principal of a departmental school.

(2) School records of any juvenile in the department's programs who is issued a diploma by a local school district shall be maintained by such local school district, provided that all references to the juvenile's commitment to and treatment by the department are expunged.