Bill > HB1257

This bill revises Georgia's charter school laws by establishing incentive grants for local school boards that approve new charter school petitions, offering $250,000 annually for the first three years of a charter school's operation, up to a total of $2.25 million per fiscal year, with these funds intended to help local boards cover authorizer expenses like hiring staff and providing oversight. The bill also clarifies that these grants are for new charter schools, not renewals, and shifts administrative responsibilities for these grants from the State Board of Education to the Office of Charter School Compliance, which will also provide technical assistance to local school systems. Additionally, the bill modifies the process for existing charter schools to petition for state charter status, requiring the current authorizer to have voted to terminate or not renew the charter, and adjusts the record retention period for closed state charter schools from one year to 180 days before records are transferred to the commission.

Education

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73027