Dear Parents and Supporters of LaGrange Academy:

 

I am very excited to tell you about a new cost-free way to make contributions to a scholarship fund at LaGrange Academy.  The Academy has partnered with the Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program, a student scholarship organization established through passage last year of House Bill 1133.  Our partnership with Georgia GOAL allows you to allocate a certain portion of your Georgia tax liability (up to $2500 for married couples filing jointly, $1250 for married filing separately, and $1000 for individual filers) to LaGrange Academy instead of the State of Georgia.  Please remember that participation does not cost you any money.  You are simply reallocating a certain amount of taxes that you already owe the state.  This allocation can be made any time during the 2010 year.  However, you would not receive your tax benefit until the 2011 tax season when you file your 2010 Georgia State taxes.  Although we only recently formalized our association with Georgia GOAL, I am pleased to report that we have already collected some “seed” monies for this program.

 

I have attached a list of frequently asked questions about Georgia GOAL, the GOAL Scholarship Contribution Form (which also describes the procedure to follow), and a copy of the required TP1 form.  You will also find attached a description of LaGrange Academy policy for using GOAL Scholarship monies.  House Bill 1133 has been interpreted and implemented in different ways by different independent schools.  In setting our policy, the LaGrange Academy trustees sought to establish an ethical and transparent approach that is consistent with the spirit (and not just the letter) of this law.

 

You will note in the attached documents that C-Corporations can contribute up to 75% of their Georgia tax liability to Georgia GOAL on behalf of LaGrange Academy.  Please inform your contacts at Georgia corporations about this effortless way to support our school.  If you have a suggestion of a company we should talk to in this regard, please let us know.  Since LaGrange Academy financial aid is currently funded through tuition dollars, your contribution to GOAL can help keep tuition increases moderate by using GOAL monies (instead of the regular financial aid fund) to provide financial assistance to qualifying families.  Please remember that this scholarship fund is different from annual giving and that participation in GOAL does not replace your gift to Annual Fund.  Thank you in advance for considering participation in this important new program.  Should you have any questions, please contact Melanie Schultz, Director of Finance. 

 

Sincerely yours,

 

Matt Walsh

Headmaster

706-882-8097 Phone