Georgia Independent School Association

The Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) is an association of private, independent, and parochial schools throughout the state of Georgia.

The association provides coordination of and services for the various member schools, including athletics and academic competition, that are not a part of the Georgia High School Association. It further attempts to foster close relations between the member schools and the colleges and public schools in the State of Georgia. It has nearly 160 member schools.

History

Predecessors

The Georgia Association of Independent Schools (GAIS) was founded in 1954 with eleven schools as charter members.[1]

The Southeastern Association of Independent Schools (SEAIS) was founded in 1969 with twenty schools as charter members.[1] Its formation came during a period when many segregation academies were being established to oppose integration and continue providing whites-only education.[2]

In 1972, the GAIS adopted an open admissions policy which did not allow discrimination with regard to race, color, or national origin, and also required members to not belong to any association which also admits segregation academies. As a result, six schools were expelled for their failure to adopt the policy or for maintaining their membership in the SEAIS.[3]

Merger to form the GISA

On July 1, 1986, the GAIS and SEAIS merged to form the GISA with 113 member schools.[1][4] At the time of the merger, GAIS membership was 71 and SEAIS membership stood at 65.[1]

During the 1990s and the early 2000s, GISA member-schools experienced a surge in student enrollment, with some sources citing an improved economy and worsening education outcomes in Georgia public schools.[5] However, during the Great Recession, GISA member-schools saw an enrollment decline, as financial aid and endowments were restricted.[6] Construction and capital projects were also paused or cancelled.

In 2021, GISA set up an ancillary organization, the Georgia Independent Athletic Association, to coordinate athletics for member schools.[7] Since then, and following a dispute between the public and private schools in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), over a dozen private schools have switched from the GHSA to the GISA.[8][9]

References


  1. 1 2 3 4 "About our association". Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  2. ↑ Johnson, Constance (September 3, 1967). "7 schools show interest in private education is growing steadily". Columbus Ledger. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Schools expelled from GAIS group". Columbus Ledger. April 30, 1972. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  4. ↑ Maschke, Carolyn (August 24, 1986). "GISA Merger Hailed as Meaningful Step". The Albany Herald. pp. 10A. Retrieved December 21, 2025 – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ Reidel, Jon (February 25, 2001). "Private Schools get "A" in Enrollment". The Albany Herald. pp. 2AA. Retrieved December 21, 2025 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ Grillo, Jerry (2009). "Feeling the Pinch". Georgia Trend. 25 (2): 48–54 – via EBSCO.
  7. ↑ "About GIAA". GIAA. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Six small private schools to leave GHSA, rejoin GISA". ajc. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  9. ↑ Bevington, Rickey (November 19, 2021). "More high schools quit over reclassification as football playoffs enter Round 2 | Georgia Public Broadcasting". www.gpb.org. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
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