Bill
Bill > HB202
summary
Introduced
01/30/2025
01/30/2025
In Committee
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2025-2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
AN ACT To amend Article 31 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the "Charter Schools Act of 1998," so as to enact the "Local Charter School Authorization and Support Act of 2025"; to provide for the State Charter Schools Commission to establish a program for the purposes of promoting and supporting the approval of new local charter school petitions by local boards of education and to provide incentive grants to local boards of education that approve new local charter school petitions; to provide for the award and use of such incentive grants; to provide for the Office of Charter School Compliance to implement and administer such incentive programs and to provide technical assistance to local school systems; to require local boards of education to provide certain written statements to the State Board of Education and the Office of Charter School Compliance upon denying a local charter school petition whereupon the corresponding state charter school petition is approved by the State Charter Schools Commission, subject to an exception; to provide for accountability for local boards of education that deny two or more local charter school petitions whereupon the corresponding state charter school petition is approved by the State Charter Schools Commission during a certain period; to provide for local boards of education to reconsider the denial of local charter school petitions; to require the Office of Charter School Compliance to prepare guidelines for local boards of education for the evaluation of charter school petitions; to revise reporting; to provide for related matters; to provide for legislative findings and intent; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
AI Summary
This bill aims to encourage and support local charter school authorization in Georgia by introducing several key provisions. The bill establishes a new incentive program where local school boards that approve new charter school petitions will receive $100,000 grants for three consecutive years, subject to available appropriations. It requires local school boards to provide detailed written explanations when denying charter school petitions, including reasons for denial and information about existing school choice options. For larger school systems (with over 10,000 students) that deny two or more local charter school petitions that are subsequently approved by the State Charter Schools Commission, the bill imposes a penalty of potentially preventing charter system contract renewals for up to three years. The Office of Charter School Compliance will be responsible for implementing the incentive grant program, providing technical assistance to local school systems, and developing guidelines to help local boards evaluate charter school petitions more effectively. Additionally, the bill mandates an annual report to be submitted to various legislative committees detailing the status of the charter school program. The overall intent is to promote innovation in education, increase accountability for local school systems, and provide more opportunities for charter school development in Georgia.
Committee Categories
Education
Sponsors (6)
Matt Dubnik (R)*,
Scott Hilton (R)*,
Jan Jones (R)*,
Todd Jones (R)*,
Carmen Rice (R)*,
Will Wade (R)*,
Last Action
House Second Readers (on 02/04/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69718 |
| BillText | https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/230836 |
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