(The Center Square) – The proposed legislation would allow Georgians to set up state-funded educational savings accounts.
Under Senate Bill 233, taxpayers would fund $6,000 per student per school year. Students could use this money to pay for “qualified” education costs, including private school fees.
“The legislation is about making sure the American Dream remains possible for all of Georgia’s children,” Senator Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, said in a statement. “No child should be stuck in a subpar school or at the whim of the school authorities because of where they live or their family’s ability to pay. Every family should have opportunities and every child should have opportunities.”
During last year’s session of the State Senate sunk a similar measure, Senate Bill 601, the Georgia Educational Freedom Act. It would have similarly created state-funded Promise Scholarships of up to $6,000 per year that Georgian families could have used for educational expenses such as private school tuition, tutoring, and homeschool curriculum.
“Sen. The Dolezal legislation would provide a life-changing opportunity for Georgia’s children, allowing taxpayers’ money to follow the child so parents can find the right educational aptitude,” said Christy Riggins, director of the American Federation for Children’s Georgia Chapter, in a statement. “Committed parents know better than governments what is best for their children, and if this long-awaited reform becomes law, Georgia will join a growing list of states to recognize that fact with meaningful action.”
The Georgia Center for Opportunity also commended the measure, saying a “quality education levels the playing field for all Georgians.”
“Promise Scholarships would do this by providing eligible students with the unique educational experiences they need,” said Buzz Brockway, vice president of public policy at GCO, in a statement. “All children deserve a chance, including students who may need extra help or need a different learning environment. This bill gives a lifeline to students who are currently not well served by their local public school without impacting the level of public school funding.
“Our education system should ensure that all students have access to quality education, regardless of their race, past defects, or the circumstances of their birth,” Brockway added. “This law would be a big step in that direction for children in our state.”
A separate measure House bill 54would raise the state’s grant cap from $120 million annually to $200 million annually beginning in 2024. The state’s tax credit scholarship program, introduced in 2008, allows individuals and businesses to apply a portion of their state tax liability to private school scholarships.
