Georgia to join a growing list of forward-thinking states that are prioritizing the unique educational needs

by Kimberly Sawatka | Mar 20, 2023

Georgia to join a growing list of forward-thinking states that are prioritizing the unique educational needs

Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones expressed support for Senate Bill 233, The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, during a recent radio interview.

“I’m all for public schools. My mom was a public school educator for 30 years,” Jones said. “We’re all about wanting to try to empower parents and give kids an opportunity, particularly kids who are in failing school systems, give those parents other options besides just being stuck in the same system that’s not serving their child properly.”

Georgia Center for Opportunity’s (GCO) take: “Now is the time for Georgia to join a growing list of forward-thinking states that are prioritizing the unique educational needs of each individual student,” said Buzz Brockway, vice president of public policy for GCO. “We’re pleased that Lt. Gov. Jones has joined his voice to the vast majority of Georgians who support educational scholarship accounts like Promise Scholarships. We encourage members of the Georgia House to listen to the voice of their constituents and make these accounts a reality.”

EVERY Kid In Georgia Deserves
A Quality Education

EveryKid.info

EVERY Kid In Georgia Deserves
A Quality Education

EveryKid.info

About Promise Scholarships: Funded by the state in the amount of $6,000 per student for each school year, Promise Scholarships would allow families to find the right fit for their students’ education. Scholarships could be used on any approved education expense, such as private school tuition, tutoring, homeschool curriculum, virtual classes, college classes, therapies (for kids with special needs), technology, and more.

Arkansas creates educational opportunity. It’s time for Georgia to step up

by David Bass | Mar 17, 2023

Arkansas creates educational opportunity. It’s time for Georgia to step up

Key Points

Arkansas is the fourth state in the U.S. to legislate universal educational opportunity — the others are Arizona, Utah, and Iowa.
Georgia Senate passed the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233) in a 33-23 vote. It will go on to the House next, where it has traditionally faced more opposition.
Georgia Senate passed the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233) in a 33-23 vote. It will go on to the House next, where it has traditionally faced more opposition.

Arkansas recently joined a growing list of states that have approved Education Scholarship Accounts, empowering parents to make the best decisions for their child’s unique educational needs.

The accounts, called Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs), will contain around $6,600 in funds per student every year. Families can then use the available funds to pay for education-related fees, including tuition, tutoring, textbooks, therapies, and other costs which have been approved by the state.

It will take three years to fully phase in the act. By the end of the third year, all students in Arkansas will be eligible for EFAs.

The creation of these accounts makes Arkansas the fourth state in the U.S. to legislate universal educational opportunity — the others are Arizona, Utah, and Iowa.

Now, Georgia could be next.

Last week, the Georgia Senate passed the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233) in a 33-23 vote. It will go on to the House next, where it has traditionally faced more opposition.

If enacted into law, the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act would fund $6,000 per student every school year. Promise Scholarships would give families the financial freedom to select an educational environment that best fits their child’s needs. A wide range of educational expenses would be approved under the act, including tutoring, virtual classes, private school tuition, homeschool curriculum, special needs therapies, technology, college courses, and more.

In the wake of the pandemic, parents nationwide are demanding more options for their children’s education. Learning loss is one of many major crises to arise from nationwide lockdowns. At Georgia Center for Opportunity, we believe it is the state’s responsibility to help reverse that loss.

Families across the state need access to more opportunities now. With Promise Scholarships, Georgia’s children will have more opportunities to excel at school. Every child deserves empowerment through a high-quality education that works best for him or her. We believe that Georgia should lend support to every educational option for its students, including alternatives like homeschooling and virtual learning.

Promise Scholarships would give families the financial freedom to select an educational environment that best fits their child’s needs.

Over the past few years, more and more families have embraced alternatives to public education. While the majority of students across Georgia still attend public schools (and will likely continue to in the future), a growing minority of families are choosing differently. And, as the nation collectively faced an unprecedented pandemic, parents began to realize how many options were available to them outside the traditional school system.

Traditionally, families who select private schools or opt to homeschool receive no financial support to do so. Despite that choice, their tax dollars continue to fund public schools whose services they do not use.

Parents with special needs children struggle to find school systems that will accommodate their children’s needs. Often, they find that one facility lacks all the important resources they need so their children can thrive at school. While they could opt to build a hybrid program for their children, which might include home healthcare or virtual classes, those alternatives are cost-prohibitive.

Ultimately, we believe that tax dollars should follow each child, meeting their unique needs along the way. There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to education. Public, private, home, and virtual education are of equal value, and as each family decides what is best for their children, Georgia should be willing to meet them where they are.

As the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act moves to the House, we urge you to contact your local representative to advocate for this bill. Our children can’t wait any longer for educational support that fits their individual needs and allows them to thrive. The future is depending on us.

The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233): Questions and Answers

by Rebecca Primis | Mar 14, 2023

The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233): Questions and Answers

Key Points

Georgia Senators have passed a bill (Senate Bill 233) that would create Promise Scholarship Accounts. The bill is headed to the House for a vote.
Funded by the state in the amount of $6,000 per student for each school year, Promise Scholarships would allow parents to find the right education option for their kids.
Eligibility is limited to kids in the bottom-performing quartile of public schools (F-graded schools and some D-graded schools), based on the Georgia Department of Education’s evaluation.

The Georgia Senate has passed Senate Bill 233, the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, which would expand education options in Georgia by creating education savings accounts. Georgia has a widespread problem of underperforming public schools and a growing parent demand for more education choice and flexibility. Promise Scholarships are a much-needed solution for expanding quality education for Georgia kids. Here’s what parents and voters need to know about Promise Scholarships.

What is SB 233, the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act?

The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233) is a type of education choice program for parents and families. It creates promise scholarships, which are state-administered, state-funded accounts that would give families $6,000 per year and per student to use for approved education expenses. Another common name for this type of program is “education savings accounts.”

How would Georgia Promise Scholarship Accounts work?

Promise Scholarship Accounts would give families $6,000 per year and per student to use for approved education expenses. The state would set aside these funds into an account the parent can direct toward the education option(s) that best supports their child’s unique learning needs.

How is the Promise Scholarship amount determined?

Georgia Promise Scholarship amounts are set at $6,000, which is approximately the average per-pupil amount that the state sends to local school districts, based on Georgia’s current student funding formula.

What could Georgia parents do with a Promise Scholarship Account?

Unlike Georgia’s other school choice programs, Promise Scholarship Accounts give parents the flexibility to buy multiple education products and services to personalize their child’s education. Parents can use accounts to pay one or more qualifying education expenses:

Tuition and fees for private schools, vocational programs, or college
Cost of online programs or classes
Tutoring services
Curriculum and textbooks
Technology, including adaptive or assistive technologies for students with special needs
Educational therapies
Transportation costs

Who can apply for a Promise Scholarship?

To apply and qualify, parents must be Georgia residents, and the student must be enrolled in a Georgia public school that the Georgia Department of Education ranks in the bottom quartile of school performance based on their annual assessment (schools receiving a “D” or “F” grade from the state). Children who are eligible for kindergarten or pre-kindergarten can also apply. Once eligible, a child remains eligible through the 12th grade.

Parents must agree to use the accounts only for qualifying educational expenses, and they cannot enroll their child in a local school system school, charter school, or a state charter school while participating in the program.

Do you qualify?
Use our interactive map to see which schools are in the lowest 25% of Georgia’s public schools.

Why does Georgia need the Promise Scholarship Act?

Georgia has a widespread problem of underperforming or failing public schools. Based on our state’s own evaluation of public school performance, at least 500,000 kids are stuck in schools that receive a D or F grade from the Georgia Department of Education.

Georgia, like many states, is experiencing a parent movement for more education choice and flexibility as frustration with a one-size-fits-all school system has grown since the pandemic. This program would give parents seeking alternatives more opportunity to customize their child’s education when the local public school is not the best fit.

The program would also benefit parents who are satisfied with their local public school. States with robust education choice programs achieve better outcomes for all students, including those in the public school system. Education savings account programs, in particular, have a track record of empowering public schools to improve their budgets, as well as student achievement.

Are Georgia Promise Scholarships the same thing as school vouchers?

No, Promise Scholarships and vouchers are two different types of parental choice programs. This question is a common one because critics of education savings accounts often call them “private school scholarships” or “vouchers by another name.” However, both descriptions are inaccurate and misleading.

School vouchers allow parents to use public education dollars for private school tuition only. Education savings accounts can be used for a wider range of education expenses, and they allow parents more flexibility to pay for multiple education services and products if desired.

Are Georgia Promise Scholarships the same thing as 529 plans?

No. With a 529 plan, the parents are responsible for contributing money to the account in order to save for their child’s education expenses. Promise Scholarships would be state-funded and would not require parents to contribute any of their own money. Parents can choose to use a Promise Scholarship Account for education savings, such as saving for college tuition, but the account doesn’t have the same tax benefits that 529 plans do.

The program is a major step toward expanding access to quality education for every kid in Georgia.

Do other states have education savings accounts?

Yes, ten states have adopted some form of an education savings account program: Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia. As of March 2023, Arkansas became the eleventh state to adopt ESAs.

In addition to Georgia, these other states are considering education savings account programs in 2023:

Idaho: Idaho’s Senate Education Committee passed a bill that would create an education savings account program for Idaho families. The bill is now headed to the Senate floor for debate and a potential vote.
Oklahoma: Governor Kevin Stitt recently endorsed education savings accounts to give Oklahoma parents at least $5,000 per child for schooling options. Two pieces of related legislation have been filed in the state senate.
South Carolina: The South Carolina Senate passed a proposal to create education savings accounts that would give up to 15,000 students $6,000 for tuition, transportation, textbooks, and internet access. The bill is now headed to the House of Representatives.
Texas: Governor Greg Abbott has made school choice a priority for the 2023 legislative session, and he’s calling for the state to adopt education savings accounts to increase parental choice.

Will SB 233 and Promise Scholarships take money away from Georgia’s public schools?

No. In fact, it’s possible for Georgia to fund both public schools and school choice programs at the same time. Promise Scholarships would give a portion of state per-pupil funding to parents. Remaining education dollars go back to public schools and can even lead to an increase in spending per-pupil public school spending.

That has been the case in Arizona, which has one of the longest-running and most inclusive ESA programs. Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts award a total of $250 million ($7,000 per student), which amounts to 1.7% of the total $14.8 billion going to Arizona public schools in 2022-2023. Furthermore, for every ESA participant, approximately $600 is going back to Arizona’s public schools for teacher pay and other essential expenses.

Plus, while ESAs will be a good solution for certain families, many parents will continue to access education through their local public school. That means states will still need to prioritize sufficient funding for public schools.

Will the Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233) help low-income families?

Yes. One benefit of Education Savings Account programs is that they are one of the most equitable education choice methods out there. They give students from low-income families more opportunities to access schooling options that are often only available to families with greater financial resources.

Will the Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233) hurt homeschooling families?

No. There are no provisions in the proposed law that would prevent homeschooling families from continuing this schooling option. Instead, SB 233 could make homeschooling an even more feasible option because families who qualify could use an account to pay for curriculum, courses, tutoring, or other educational resources that would enhance their homeschooling experience.

Related Resources

Georgia students need more schooling choices (Georgia Center for Opportunity)

Now is the time to expand educational freedom in Georgia (Georgia Center for Opportunity)

The Public School Benefits of Education Savings Accounts (Goldwater Institute)

Why homeschool families should support ESAs or at least not oppose them (Goldwater Institute)

Seizing on Parents’ Frustration, GOP Governors Push for Education Savings Accounts (The74)

New survey finds majority of nation’s teachers and parents favor Education Savings Accounts (yes. every kid.)

Georgia school voucher bill stays alive after heated Senate debate

by Kimberly Sawatka | Mar 8, 2023

Georgia school voucher bill stays alive after heated Senate debate

A school voucher bill is one of many that survived Monday’s legislative deadline where pieces of legislation have to pass at least one chamber in order to stay alive for Georgia’ 2023 legislative session. After some intense debate on the Senate floor, Senate Bill 233 sailed through in a 33-23 vote.

School closures during the pandemic added fuel to the school choice movement. In Georgia, enrollment in charter schools and homeschooling have grown since the Covid-19 pandemic. Georgia Center for Opportunity, a nonpartisan policy research organization, said SB 233 will expand school choice options.

“Parents across the country are demanding more educational options in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,” GCO’s vice president of public policy Buzz Brockway said in a news release. “Now is not the time for more lip-service or half-hearted efforts to help students reverse learning loss.”

Read the full article here

Georgia Senate passes bill to create state-funded education savings accounts

by Kimberly Sawatka | Mar 8, 2023

Georgia Senate passes bill to create state-funded education savings accounts

The Georgia Senate passed legislation to create state-funded education savings accounts.

Under Senate Bill 233, the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, taxpayers would fund $6,000 per student per school year. Families could use the money to defray “qualified” education costs, such as private school tuition.

“Parents across the country are demanding more educational options in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Buzz Brockway, vice president of public policy for the Georgia Center for Opportunity, said in a statement. “Now is not the time for more lip-service or half-hearted efforts to help students reverse learning loss. Georgia families need more opportunities and they need them now.

Read the full article here

Promise Scholarships pass in the Senate and head to the House

by Buzz Brockway | Mar 6, 2023

Promise Scholarships pass in the Senate and head to the House

🚨Breaking News: Promise Scholarships pass in the Senate and head to the House

Promise Scholarships would give parents $6,000 per student per year to find the right education option for their kids.

Georgia Center for Opportunity’s (GCO) take: “Parents across the country are demanding more educational options in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now is not the time for more lip-service or half-hearted efforts to help students reverse learning loss,” said Buzz Brockway, vice president of public policy for GCO. “Georgia families need more opportunities and they need them now. Promise Scholarships would empower students to excel in their education. With S.B. 233 now headed to the House, we encourage lawmakers in that chamber to do right by Georgia families and make Promise Scholarships a reality. It’s well past time and we can’t afford to delay any longer.”

Learn more about education in Georgia for Every Kid. Click here.