Flood of last-minute applications causes enrollment delays in Barrow County Schools

Back-to-school is a waiting game in Barrow County

Some Barrow County students are still waiting to attend their first day of school, as a flood of last-minute applications has delayed the registration process for hundreds of families.

WINDER, Ga. - Some Barrow County students are still waiting to attend their first day of school, as a flood of last-minute applications has delayed the registration process for hundreds of families.

According to county officials, more than 460 student registration applications were submitted within the 10 days leading up to the start of school, overwhelming the system and slowing response times.

What they're saying:

"I entered the paperwork and never heard anything back from them," said parent Tracy Winderweedle. "I reached back out to them and asked if I submitted everything correctly."

Winderweedle’s son was supposed to begin kindergarten on August 1, but days later, the family was still waiting. She said she called the school district on Friday and was told staff were still processing applications submitted as far back as July 23.

"They said they would be working through the weekend," she added.

Winderweedle isn’t alone. She recalled a recent visit to a local store where another parent shared a similar experience.

"I went to the Dollar General and the girl was like, ‘Why aren’t you in school?’ to my son," she said. "She said, ‘Oh, I have actually heard quite a few people come through here saying it happened to them as well.’"

"They then said by the time I had submitted the correct paperwork in, that it put me at the bottom of the list," Winderweedle said.

Still, for Winderweedle’s son, the wait has been disheartening.

"Every day we go drop off Ezta and pick him up, and he’s like, ‘When am I going to start school?’" she said. "It’s really just more sad. It’s kindergarten."

The other side:

The Barrow County School System posted a notice on its website acknowledging the backlog and stating that staff are "working tirelessly" to process the influx of applications. Officials also noted that some parents submitted incomplete or incorrect paperwork, which led to additional delays.

To address the growing frustration, school officials say they have brought in extra staff to help answer phones and process paperwork more efficiently. They’ve also posted detailed guidelines online outlining which documents are required and which will not be accepted.

District officials emphasized they are required by law to verify all student documents before enrollment is finalized.

What you can do:

Additional information about the process is available on the school system’s website.