ATLANTA — The Georgia Senate approved SB 233, which would grant a $6,500 voucher for students at low-performing schools who want to transfer to private schools.
The bill now heads to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk. With his signature, the voucher program, also known as the “Georgia Promise Scholarship Act,” would start in Fall 2025 and last 10 years.
“I firmly believe we can take an all-of-the-above approach to education options,” Kemp said in a statement Wednesday. “I’m thankful to the General Assembly for giving final passage to SB 233 today to give students and families greater choice.”
Here are three things to know about the voucher program.
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Who qualifies for the voucher?
The student must attend a public school that ranks in Georgia’s bottom 25% for academics. The student must also have attended the public school for at least two consecutive semesters or entering kindergarten.
The student’s parent or parents must have been a Georgia resident for at least a year unless they are on active duty in the military.
The bill states that priority goes to families who earn less than four times the federal property level. In 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services said $120,000 a year for a family of four.
What can the voucher be used on? Where does the money come from?
The student granted the voucher would have the choice to attend another public school, a private school, or use the funds for a homeschooling curriculum.
The money can also be spent on therapy, tutoring or certain college courses for high school students.
Where is the funding coming from? The bill states that the program won’t spend more than 1% of the state’s school funding formula, which would be around $141 million. The bill’s sponsors estimate that the program could support more than 21,000 scholarships.
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What do supporters and critics of the program have to say?
The public school would lose that money, but supporters like Rep. Todd Jones, (R-South Forsyth), told Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco that the school would have one less student.
“We gave a toolbox to each family in this state to make sure their child is empowered, educated, and we’re going to make this the great equalizer,” said Jones.
“We’re not saying it’s forever, but for the past 50 years, something has not been going right,” said Rep. Mesha Mainor (R-Atlanta), who switched parties over the topic of school choice.
Critics said parents would like to use the tax dollars differently and vouchers do not work.
“They want after-school care, summer enrichment, and they need help with childcare,” Rep. Beck Adams (D-DeKalb County) told Channel 2 Action News.
“They don’t work for poor people. They don’t work for [the] underserved. They don’t work for Title One schools,” Paris said.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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