Bill > SB369

This bill amends the "Charter Schools Act of 1998" to establish and regulate "dropout recovery charter schools," which are defined as charter schools serving students in grades six through 12 that offer special education services, remedial education programs, and nontraditional educational services like dropout prevention, credit recovery, and flexible scheduling, but do not serve students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The State Board of Education is required to create specific rules and procedures for charter petitions for these schools, including how they will provide these services and meet measurable performance standards in academic achievement, student growth, and student retention. Existing charter schools will also be able to convert to dropout recovery charter schools. Furthermore, the bill mandates separate principles and standards for authorizing dropout recovery charter schools, distinct from those for other charter schools, and requires that their performance be reported separately in annual state reports to avoid impacting local school system ratings. This Act will take effect on July 1, 2026.

Education

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71940