Gwinnett County Public Schools Complaint Procedures

  • Complaint Procedures for Federal Programs (Español - Aprender más)

    Complaint Form (English)

    Grounds for a Complaint.  Any individual, organization, or agency (“complainant”) may file a complaint with Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) if that individual, organization, or agency believes and alleges that GCPS is violating a Federal statue or regulation under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, that applies to any of the programs listed below.  

    • Title I, Part A, Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged
    • Title I, Part C, Education of Migratory Children
    • Title I, Part D, Programs for Neglected or Delinquent Children
    • Title II, Part A, Supporting Effective Instruction 
    • Title III, Part A, Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students
    • Title IV, Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment 
    • Title IV, Part B, 21st Century Community Learning Centers
    • Title IX, Part A, Subtitle 7b, The McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act 


    Complaints Originating at the Local Level. As part of its Assurances within ESEA program grant applications and pursuant, an LEA accepting federal funds must have local written procedures for the receipt and resolution of complaints alleging violations of law in the administration of covered programs.Therefore a complaint should not be filed with the Georgia Department of Education until every effort has been made to resolve through local written complaint procedures. 

    Filing a Complaint.  A complaint must be made in writing and signed by the complainant. The complaint must allege a violation that occurred not more than one (1) year prior to the date the complaint is received, unless a longer period is reasonable because the violation is considered systemic or ongoing. The complaint must include the following: 

    1.  A statement that Gwinnett County Public Schools has violated a requirement of a Federal statue or regulation that applies to an applicable program; 
    2.  The date on which the violation occurred;
    3.  The facts on which the statement is based and the specific requirement allegedly violated (include citation to the Federal statue or regulation);
    4.  A list of the names and telephone numbers of individuals who can provide additional information;
    5.  Whether a complaint has been filed with any other government agency, and if so, which agency;
    6.  Copies of all applicable documents supporting the complainant’s position; and 
    7.  The address of the complainant.

    The complaint must be addressed to:   
    Mr. Jorge Gomez, Executive Director of Administration and Policy
    CEO/Superintendent’s Office
    Gwinnett County Public Schools
    437 Old Peachtree Road, NW
    Suwanee, Georgia 30024-2978

    Investigation of Complaint. Once the complaint is received by Gwinnett County Public Schools it will be copied and forwarded to the appropriate Federal Program Director/Coordinator. Within ten (10) days of receipt of the complaint, Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) will issue a Letter of Acknowledgement to the complainant that contains the following information:

    1.  The date GCPS received the complaint;
    2.  How the complainant may provide additional information;
    3.  A statement of the ways in which GCPS may investigate or address the complaint; and
    4.  Any other pertinent information.

    If additional information or an investigation is necessary, GCPS will have sixty (60) days from receipt of the information to complete the investigation and issue a Letter of Findings. If the Letter of Findings indicates that a violation has been found, a timeline for corrective action will be included. The sixty (60) day timeline may be extended if exceptional circumstances occur.  The Letter of Findings will be sent directly to the complainant, as well as the other parties involved. 

    Right of Appeal.  If an individual, organization, or agency is aggrieved by the final decision of Gwinnett County Public Schools, that individual, organization, or agency has the right to request review of the decision by the Georgia Department of Education. 

    For complaints filed pursuant to Section 9503 (20 U.S.C. 7883 / Complaint Process for Participation of Private School Children,) a complainant may appeal to the Georgia Department of Education no later than thirty (30) days from the date on which the complainant receives the Letter of Findings. The appeal must be accompanied by a copy of the Gwinnett County Public Schools’ decision and include a complete statement of the reasons supporting the appeal.

    If the complainant has tried to file a complaint with Gwinnett County Public Schools to no avail, the complainant may file an appeal with the Georgia Department of Education. The appeal submitted to the Georgia Department of Education must include written proof of the attempt to resolve the issue with Gwinnett County Public Schools.