Admissions
Piedmont Admissions & Financial Information
- The application/entrance testing fee of $125.00 per application is due on or before the testing appointment.
- Families have the option to pay tuition either annually, semi-annually, or monthly.
- Tuition and Fees paid in full by June 1st will receive a $500 discount off the cost of tuition.
CURRENT STUDENTS: To secure your student’s enrollment for next year, submit the annual student registration fee of $250.00 per student by February 28, 2025. This will ensure that your student(s) will be enrolled for the 2025-2026 school year. The registration fee increases to $350 after February 28th and $450 after March 15th. Families are encouraged to submit the registration fee early, as space is limited due to a decrease in class size and an increase in enrollment. Tuition payment plans renew each school year. On March 1st, after the first current student deadline, new students will be eligible for acceptance.
NEW STUDENTS: New students interested in enrolling should complete the application, pay the non-refundable $125 application fee and submit all supporting documents. The application for new students will open on March 1, 2025. Families are encouraged to complete the application and submit all documents early. Once capacity is met for a grade level, enrollment will close for that grade. The week of March 1st, new student applicants with complete files will be reviewed for admission. If accepted, a contract will be offered and a non-refundable $250 confirmation fee will be required. Signing the contract and submitting the non-refundable $250 confirmation fee reserves your space for the 2025-2026 school year.
Newly accepted students will have until June 1st to pay the non-refundable enrollment fee of $750 for the first student, $500 for the second student, and $250 for each additional student. Students contracted after June 1st will have until August 1st to submit the enrollment fee. Students who have not submitted the enrollment fee, will not be allowed to begin school.
All new students are required to pay the confirmation and enrollment fee by the deadlines. Students enrolling after the school year has begun are required to pay the confirmation fee and the enrollment fee prior to enrolling. Students enrolling by December 31, of the current school year will be charged the full amount of annual tuition. If a student enrolls after January 1, of the current school year, the tuition will be pro-rated.
New students are required to purchase tuition refund insurance through the school at a rate of $170 for PK3 half day students and $340 for PK3 Full day through 12th grade students. New families will automatically be invoiced for each student and the insurance fee must be paid in full by June 1st. Students will not be allowed to enroll until the insurance has been paid in full. Students joining midyear are required to pay the insurance in full when signing the admissions contract and before enrolling.
TUITION SCHEDULE: All questions regarding tuition, bus fees, or fundraising monies should be directed to the financial office (706-468-8818, Ext. 314 or
Robin_Anglin@piedmontacademy.com). Tuition may be paid either annually, semi-annually, or monthly. Tuition and registration payments are non-refundable. If you decide to pay annually, the full tuition amount is due by June 1, 2025 and a $500 discount will be applied to your tuition balance. If you prefer to pay in monthly installments, your payments will start June 1, 2025, and run twelve months to May 1, 2026. A $20.00 per family late fee will be assessed if tuition is not received by your due date.
Online Admissions Application
Recommendations
Each applicant to Piedmont Academy is asked to supply recommendations from two academic teachers who are well qualified to evaluate the applicant. Please provide each teacher with a stamped envelope addressed to the Piedmont Academy Admissions Office.
Applicant Questionnaire
The questionnaire must be returned to the school office prior to the interview date for grades 6 - 12.
Evaluation & Selection
When the student's file is complete, it is read carefully by the Admissions Committee. The committee will seek to answer the following questions: Will the candidate benefit from and contribute to our educational community? Does the candidate's academic performance suggest that he/she will be able to succeed at Piedmont? How do the candidate's credentials compare with those of others applying for admission? As the committee seeks to answer these questions, a wide range of characteristics are considered, such as scholastic aptitude, academic motivation and performance, extra-curricular activities, character, integrity, and seriousness of purpose. Family commitment to an independent school education is also a priority. Are the parents Piedmont or independent school alumni? Are siblings at Piedmont? Is the family as a whole committed to Piedmont Academy? We carefully weigh all of these factors in making admission decisions. The Admissions Office will notify the parents as soon as a decision has been reached. Upon acceptance, a non-refundable pre-registration fee is required to hold a student's place in the class enrollment.
Transcripts
Transcripts are required of all applicants for grades 1-12. It is the parents' responsibility to see that a transcript of the student's academic record and testing record are submitted to the Admissions Office by the student's present school. Any psychological evaluations should be included.
Testing & Personal Interview
Testing of applicants for the following school year will take place during the spring. A testing date is set at a time that is convenient with the student, parents, and school. At this time, students in grades 6-12 will have a personal interview and a "shadow student" for the entire school day.
Health Information
Piedmont Academy is required by Georgia law to have on file Georgia Health form 3031 (immunization records) and Georgia Health form 3300 (eye, ear, and dental screening).
Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy
Piedmont Academy, Inc. of Monticello, Georgia admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial assistance program, athletic and any other school-administered programs.
Frequently asked questions
1. How is payment for tuition handled?
Answer: Tuition is due on the first day of the month. Checks may be mailed or dropped off at the business office. We also offer automatic drafts from your checking account. Forms are available in the business office. Most families pay monthly but some pay quarterly and annually. Payment arrangements can be made through our business office.
2. Is bus transportation available?
Answer: Piedmont operates three buses - one to Jackson, one to Covington, and one to McDonough. A complete transportation and fee schedule is available on our website for your convenience. Bus fare can be included in your tuition payment and is paid August through May. Parents must provide a car seat if their child falls within the state criteria for transporting small children. The bus schedule is posted under “parents/transportation” on the school’s website.
3. Where do most students go after graduation?
Answer: Our graduates choose a variety of colleges to attend after graduation. Most attend in-state colleges but some choose schools outside the state of Georgia. With the HOPE Scholar program, in-state colleges are very appealing to most families for their child’s college education.
4. How does the school handle discipline problems?
Answer: Discipline in the classroom is handled by the teacher but more serious matters are sent to the assistant headmaster. Piedmont has a demerit system where students are issued a demerit for minor infractions such as dress code violation, chewing gum, etc. Students are allowed to “work off” demerits during break, after school, or attend scheduled Saturday detentions. If they choose not to work during their break time, they must attend an adult-supervised Saturday detention as well as pay a fee. Their detention work consists primarily of picking up liter, cleaning, painting, grounds maintenance, and other odd jobs around the campus.
5. What academic or counseling services are available?
Answer: Our guidance office offers academic advice and assistance in college choice/placement and available scholarships. We also offer a class for seniors to assist them with writing a college application essay, resume, discussion of life skills, etc. Juniors and seniors are allowed three excused college visitation days per school year. College recruiters visit our campus throughout the school year. Peer tutoring is available for our students and is arranged through the guidance office.
6. Which departments have won state or national awards?
Answer: Our debate, drama and literary teams have won several state and regional titles since 1973 when the association of independent schools formed a literary program.
The debate team travels across the United States to compete with other schools and always has a successful event. Academic trophies are displayed in the main building trophy case.
Our sports program has won numerous regional titles and several state titles. These trophies are displayed in the gymnasium lobby. Championship years for extracurricular activities are posted in the gymnasium.
7. How is technology used to support learning? Are laptops required? Who pays for them?
Answer: Our entire campus is wireless so laptops/I-Pads can be used anywhere on the school grounds provided they have key access. We have mobile laptop carts that are used throughout the school. The school has over 150+ computers connected to the network. We also have software on our server to filter out questionable/undesirable internet sites.
Computers are located in every classroom, the media center, and our administration offices. Students may bring their own laptop or I-pad and log into our server to access their device.
8. At what intervals does the school send out progress reports? Are they sent electronically?
Answer: Progress reports are available every nine weeks. The semester grade average consists of the two nine-week grading periods plus the final exam. The school offers an on-line parent notification of student grades, course information, and homework assignments through RenWeb internet program. Parents and students have free on-line accounts that allow them access to information posted. Activation of a RenWeb account requires both parents and students and is handled through the guidance office.
9. Which sports are offered?
Answer: Piedmont offers eleven sports programs. Fall sports include cheerleading, cross country, football, shooting team, and softball; winter includes basketball and wrestling; spring consists of baseball, soccer, track, golf, and tennis. Students in grades 6-12 are encouraged to participate. Elementary students have the opportunity to participate in cheerleading in grades K5-5, football in grades 3-5, and intramural basketball in grades K5-5.
10. How important is extracurricular involvement?
Answer: We encourage all students to become involved in school life. One of our mottos is “Involved students become involved adults.” We offer debate, drama, literary, chorus, Y-Club, student government, FCA, FFA, and 4-H. Fifth grade students participate in a ten-week long drug awareness program called “CHAMPS.” Since our primary purpose is to prepare students for college, extracurricular involvement and community service is very important for college applications as well as life in general.
11. What social activities does the school offer, both for students and for parents?
Answer: For high school, prom is held in the spring; middle school hosts a fall and winter dance; and elementary hosts a “Father/Daughter” dance.
12. What is a typical day like for the students?
Answer: The day begins at 8:00 and ends at 3:15. All students report to their assigned homeroom teacher. For grades 6-12, the day consists of seven class periods lasting 50 minutes, a 12 minute morning break, and 30 minutes for lunch.
13. Is there a dress code or uniform?
Answer: Students wear a polo-type shirt available in short or long sleeves. The shirts are available in blue, gray, black, or white. On Fridays, we allow the students to participate in “spirit day” where they have the option to wear a t-shirt that is related to the school or GISA. Jeans or khaki shorts and/or slacks are allowed. Guidelines are posted in our student handbook.
14. Are teachers certified?
Answer: Since Piedmont is “Accredited with Quality” by the Georgia Accrediting Commission and SAIS, they certify and validate that all our teachers meet state standards. All teachers in K5 thru 5th are certified and have degrees and certification in the areas in which they teach. All middle school and high school teachers hold degrees and many advanced degrees (Masters, Doctorate) in the areas in which they teach. Nearly all are certified or in the process of certification. To reiterate, they all hold degrees in the areas in which they teach. We also have teachers who teach as a part of a dual enrollment program with Georgia Military College wherein students receive college credit prior to completing high school.
15. What is the student/teacher ratio? What is the average senior class size?
Answer: The ratio of students to faculty is 12:1. Our average graduating class since 1971 is 22.
16. Who governs the school?
Answer: Piedmont is governed by a Board of Trustees consisting of enine board members elected by the parental body. Trustees serve a two-year term and their responsibility is to set policy and ensure Piedmont is financially stable. The day-to-day operations are handled by the school’s headmaster.
17. What year was Piedmont founded and is it accredited?
Answer: Our school was founded in 1970 and opened with 150 students. Our average enrollment for the past five years has been 348 students. We are “Accredited with Quality” by the Georgia Accrediting Commission; dual accreditation with Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and AdvancED (formerly SACS); member of the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA); College Board (SAT/ACT); and Student & Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) approved.
18. What type of financial aid is offered?
Answer: We offer financial assistance based on need. Applications are processed through Facts After submitting the application through Facts , parents are required to submit a monthly budget sheet and a copy of their tax return to our headmaster. Financial assistance is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
For students entering Piedmont from public education, they are eligible to apply for Apogee Scholarship funds. Our school partners with Apogee, where the state of Georgia provides dollar-for-dollar tax credits for donations to Student Scholarship Organizations (SSOs), non-profits that provide private school scholarships. Individuals may claim up to $2,500 and married couples filing jointly may claim up to $5,000. An individual who is a member of a LLC, a shareholder of an “S” corporation or a partner in a partnership may claim up to $50,000.00 of their tax actually paid as a member, shareholder, or partner. Corporate taxpayers may claim up to 75% of their total tax liability. The program is capped per year and we strongly encourage for you to being the process in early fall of the current school year.
If you need more information, please do not hesitate to contact our financial office or Apogee directly at apogee123.org. or our business office at 706-468-8818, Ext. 313
Explore the many adventure activities open to you here at Montana Mountains. You’ll find something for every season of the year, and visitors of every age and fitness level.
WINTER ACTIVITIES
SKIING
Elevation at the park makes it possible for us to offer a wide range of slopes, for skiers of every level. Ski season starts with the first good snowfall (usually around mid-November) and generally continues through mid-March.
CLIMBING
Snow climbing is relatively new at the park, and incredibly popular. We offer a range of climbing facilities and a 3-hour training course for new climbers. All climbing gear can be rented at the park main office.
HELISKI
Access our most challenging mountains and hillscapes with our heliski package. It enables you to reach the most remote areas of our park, and enjoy a truly individualize and exciting ski experience.
SUMMER ACTIVITIES
BIKING
You’ll find hundreds of kilometers of paved and off-road riding trails at the park. Be prepared for extra high winds as you ride higher, and potentially slick conditions. Make sure you wear protective gear.
Hiking
Bring your hiking poles, sturdy shoes and plenty of high-energy foods, because once you get started walking the park’s hiking trails, you aren’t going to want to stop. All of our trails are clearly marked according to level of expertise.
Camping
There are more 180 campsites in the park, and demand is high, so book in advance. Note that developed sites have basic facilities such as running water and toilets; backcountry sites have no such facilities.
Wildlife
You’ll find an incredible array of wildlife roaming freely at the park. Enjoying taking photos, but do be sure to keep a safe distance. Also, respect the wildlife you encounter, as this is their home.
Canoe Trips
Travelling by canoe is one of the most relaxing ways of enjoying the park. Move along the water at a gentle pace, enjoying the scenery as you go. There are two boat shops at the park that rent canoes and gear.
