Bill > SR476

This resolution creates a Senate Study Committee on Local School System Flexibility Options to investigate the impacts of waivers granted by the Georgia State Board of Education that allow local school systems and charter schools to deviate from certain state education regulations. The six-member committee, consisting of four members appointed by the Senate President and two by the Senate Minority Leader, will examine how these waivers affect educational outcomes, operational efficiency, and accountability across school systems. The committee is specifically tasked with studying conditions, needs, and issues related to waivers that currently allow schools to modify requirements such as class sizes, teacher salaries, special education provisions, curriculum standards, and operational guidelines. Legislative members will receive standard allowances, and the committee is required to file a report with findings and potential legislative recommendations by December 1, 2025. The study is particularly timely given that nearly all of Georgia's 180 local school systems currently hold class size waivers, and the State Board of Education recently extended existing waivers for an additional five years, making a comprehensive review crucial for understanding the long-term implications of these educational flexibility provisions.

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71716