SB 233: Georgia Promise Scholarships Would Help Thousands of Students. Why Did Some Districts Vote Against It?

SB 233: Georgia Promise Scholarships Would Help Thousands of Students. Why Did Some Districts Vote Against It?

Promise Scholarships would give Georgia students stuck in failing schools the opportunity to access schooling options better suited to their needs.

SB 233: Georgia Promise Scholarships Would Help Thousands of Students. Why Did Some Districts Vote Against It?

Key Points

  • On March 29, 2023, Georgia Promise Scholarships (Senate Bill 233) failed by only a few votes in the House of Representatives. These leaders had another chance to vote on the bill in 2024.  
  • SB 233 creates a much-needed education option for students zoned for a school ranked in the bottom 25% of Georgia publis schools. Of the 16 Republicans who voted against Promise Scholarships in 2023, 13 have schools in the bottom 25%. 
  • More research is showing that more education choice helps public schools and translates to better academic achievement, especially for low-income students.

On March 29, 2023, the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (Senate Bill 233) failed by a vote of 85-89 in the House of Representatives, despite passing the Georgia Senate on March 6, 2023. 

At the time, that was the furthest that an education savings account bill had advanced in the Georgia Legislature. Despite having support from Governor Brian Kemp, Lt. Governor Burt Jones, and Speaker Jon Burns, the bill still came up six votes short of passage in the House.

Georgia needs Promise Scholarships to build its future workforce and prosperity

In late 2023, Governor Brian Kemp announced a new program called Georgia Match. Georgia Match seeks to connect every high school senior with a post-secondary education path that meets each student’s needs. The program brings unprecedented cooperation between the Georgia Department of Education, The Technical College System of Georgia, and the University System of Georgia. It’s not an exaggeration to say this program can potentially transform Georgia’s educational system and workforce.

SB 233 would allow students zoned for a school ranked in the bottom 25% for two consecutive years, according to Georgia’s College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI), to use a Promise Scholarship. 

  • Promise Scholarships would allow these families to access education options that they might not otherwise be able to afford or use. The scholarship could be applied to private school tuition, homeschooling materials, or other educational expenses defined in the bill.

  • The state would put the scholarship amount ($6,500) in a parent-directed account controlled by the state of Georgia for these purposes.

Based on CCRPI scores, which were last calculated in 2018-2019, 298 schools currently fall into the bottom 25% criteria. These schools are located all across Georgia, but mostly in areas of high poverty.

It’s important to note that limiting the Promise Scholarship to only the bottom 25% of schools doesn’t cover all the schools in Georgia that receive D or F grades in CCRPI.

To see Georgia Match fulfill its potential, K-12 students must be prepared to succeed in the post-secondary education path they choose—especially those students eligible for a Promise Scholarship and those who deserve better economic and social opportunities to escape poverty. 

“Our job is not decide for every family but to support them in making the best choice for their child.” — Gov. Brian Kemp, 2024 State of the State Address

“Our job is not decide for every family but to support them in making the best choice for their child.”
— Gov. Brian Kemp, 2024 State of the State Address

 [16 Republican legislators opposed Promise Scholarships in 2023. Here’s why they should have changed their vote.

Over the past 10 years, Republican governors and legislators have passed and tried to implement reforms meant to improve Georgia’s lowest-performing public schools. From the failed Opportunity School District constitutional amendment to the all-but-gutted Chief Turnaround Officer legislation, efforts for transformational reform within the traditional public school system have been stifled.

Many of the schools in question also receive intensive assistance from the Department of Education (DOE) via the Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) and Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) programs. These programs require schools to develop improvement plans in close collaboration with DOE officials. 

While these programs have helped, there’s an important detail that voters and parents should know about. Several of these schools in the bottom 25% of CCRPI performance today were schools that qualified for the Opportunity School District program back in 2015. 

In other words, these schools are still among our state’s lowest-performing schools after eight years of intensive assistance. Should we continue to tell parents to wait for another program? If your children or grandchildren were zoned for these schools, would you tell them to wait?

For several legislators, including 16 Republican Representatives, the answer has been “yes.”

Of the 16 Republican legislators who voted against SB 233 in 2023, 13 have public schools in their districts that are in the bottom 25%. Yet all 16 of these districts have private schools ready to accept more students. In addition, Georgia has a robust homeschooling community in all corners of the state, as well as a burgeoning microschool movement. Promise Scholarship recipients can access these options no matter where they live.

Get the answers to common questions about the new Georgia Promise Scholarship program.

Georgia’s Promise Scholarship Explained
Find out what the program is, how it works, and which students will be eligible. 

To meet Georgia’s diverse student needs, the answer is to expand parental options.

If we truly want Governor Kemp’s Georgia Match program to succeed, parents need more options. If we truly want all of Georgia’s students to obtain a quality education and pursue post-secondary education that prepares them for a meaningful career and a stable life, parents need more options. If we want Georgia’s economy to continue to thrive and attract new industries to our state, parents need more options.

Expanding parental options will lift our entire educational system. To see this in action, all we need to do is look south. A November 2023 study of Florida’s educational landscape found that as school choice programs matured, the positive effects were felt across the board, including within the public schools:

“We find that as public schools are more exposed to private school choice, their students experience increasing benefits as the program matures. In particular, higher levels of private school choice exposure are associated with lower rates of suspensions and absences, and with higher standardized test scores in reading and math.”

The students showing the most gains? Students with low–socioeconomic status (SES). 

Far from harming public schools, school choice actually improves public schools. Georgia’s students deserve to have this opportunity as well.

With SB 233, Georgia legislators had an incredible chance to set Georgia students on a path toward academic success and a bright future. Thankfully, SB 233 and Georgia’s kids received the support needed from lawmakers, and the Georgia Promise Scholarship passed in April 2024. The progam will become available for Georgia parents and students in Fall 2025. 

Public School Transfers: How to Go to a School You’re Not Zoned for in Georgia

Public School Transfers: How to Go to a School You’re Not Zoned for in Georgia

Mother walking students to a local public school.

Public School Transfers: How to Go to a School You’re Not Zoned for in Georgia

Key Points

  • Public school transfers are an education option that allows parents to move their child to a public school they’re not zoned for (as long as the school has space). 
  • Georgia currently allows public school transfers within a student’s current district, but not outside of it. 
  • Parents must apply for a public school transfer. Scroll down to find out how to check with your local school district for availability and application deadlines.

Public school transfers explained

Public school transfers, also referred to as open enrollment for public schools, allow parents to move their student to a public school different from the one they’re zoned for. 

This is a great option for states to provide because it increases flexibility within the public school system—something parents increasingly want. The majority of Georgia students (84%) attend public school, so transfers are a way to empower parents to choose the public school environment that’s right for their child.

Types of public school transfers available in Georgia

  • Allowed: Transfers within assigned school districts. Georgia offers restricted public school transfers. Families can send their child to any school within their assigned local district as long as that school has space and has been operating for at least four years. This option is known as intra-district transfer. 

  • Not yet allowed: Transfers outside of assigned school districts. Another type of public school transfer, called “inter-district transfer,” permits students to switch to a public school outside of the district they are zoned for. This option is not allowed in Georgia yet. Georgia lawmakers would need to pass a bill to make it available to families.

There’s a better vision for education in Georgia: Every child able to access quality education without restrictions of wealth, race, circumstances of birth, or zip code.  

There’s a better vision for education in Georgia: Every child able to access quality education without restrictions of wealth, race, circumstances of birth, or zip code.

How Georgia’s public school transfers work

Parents must contact the local school system to see which schools will accept transfers and for which grades. The Georgia Department of Education provides a list of public school contact information

Each school system is required to notify parents by July 1 about which schools have space. Many systems post this information on their websites before July 1. Most districts only allow transfers at the beginning of the school year, but all can elect to accept students throughout the year. 

Parents must then apply for a transfer though their district’s website, at the district office, or at the local school. If more students apply than there is space available, some school systems will make decisions on a first come, first served basis. Others will hold a random lottery.

Apply for a public school transfer: Requirements and steps to know

Parents must contact the local school system to see which schools will accept transfers and for which grades. The Georgia Department of Education provides a list of public school contact information

Each school system is required to notify parents by July 1 about which schools have space. Many systems post this information on their websites before July 1. Most districts only allow transfers at the beginning of the school year, but all can elect to accept students throughout the year. 

Parents apply for a transfer though their district’s website, at the district office, or at the local school. If more students apply than there is space available, some school systems will make decisions on a first come, first served basis. Others will hold a random lottery.

Eligibility requirements 

  • A student must be enrolled in a public school in Georgia. 

School options

  • Transfers open up access to other public schools within a student’s neighborhood. 
  • Transfers do not apply to public schools outside a student’s assigned district. They also do not apply to non-public schools. 
  • A student who transfers to another public school may continue to attend that school until completing all grades of the school.

Cost to families 

  • School systems cannot charge tuition for students transferring within their district. 
  • Transportation is the responsibility of the parent/guardian. 

Five application steps to know

1. Contact your local school system to see which schools accept transfers and in which grades.

2. Check your school system’s website by July 1. Each system is required to notify parents annually about which schools have space available. State law requires school systems to post this information by July 1, but it’s often available earlier so consider setting a reminder to check the website as early as April or May.

3. Access a transfer request on your district’s website, at the district office, or at your local school. Complete the transfer application (note: some school systems require parents to do this step in person at the district office).

4. Application periods can be as short as one to two weeks. For many districts, this application window is in June or July. In other areas, it can be as early as January. Get in touch with your district or check their website early and often so you don’t miss any deadlines.

5. The school system will notify parents about whether their transfer request was accepted or denied. If more students apply than there is space available, school systems will make decisions on a first come, first served basis or through a random lottery. 

How Georgia can expand public school options 

Georgia lawmakers could expand opportunities within the public school system by removing all restrictions on transfers and allowing both inter-district transfers (access to public schools in different districts) and intra-district transfers (access to public schools in a student’s current district).

To set up a successful transfer program, there are a couple of state examples Georgia could look to:

Example: Florida’s unrestricted open enrollment

  • In 2016, Florida passed a law creating state-wide open enrollment that required all districts to participate.
    Students can transfer from the school they’re zoned for to any public school that has space in their grade level.
    While there are a few ways Florida could improve its public school transfer policy, its unrestricted approach is one other states can learn from.

Example: Wisconsin’s open access to any school district

  • Over 70,000 students are thriving in school, thanks to Wisconsin’s cross-district open enrollment policy, which allows students access to any public school inside or outside of their district.
  • A unique feature of Wisconsin’s program is that, when a student moves to a new school district, a large chunk of their state funding goes with them. Another portion is left behind in the student’s old district to help offset costs associated with student transfers.
  • Through this arrangement, families can meet their needs, and public schools enjoy an incentive to accept transfers.

In the 2024 legislative session, the Georgia Senate is considering a bill (Senate Bill 147) that would let students transfer to a different public school either in their current district or outside of it. 

Contested education reforms loom over Georgia’s legislative session

Contested education reforms loom over Georgia’s legislative session

Georgia news, in the news, current events, Georgia happenings, GA happenings

Contested education reforms loom over Georgia’s legislative session

Perhaps more than any time in recent memory, education-related bills look to dominate the current legislative session. If last year is any indicator, these measures may redraw political alliances and lead to heated debates. As is always the case, not every proposal is created equally, and in a legislative world that requires compromise, initial bill language often isn’t the author’s best and final offer.

 

One notable holdover from last year that will certainly make some noise is Senate Bill 233—also known as The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act—which Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, introduced. “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,” reads an article by local think tank the Georgia Center for Opportunity.

 Read the full article here

 

Georgia School Choice Week: Gov. Kemp Encourages Access to Quality Education for Every Kid

Georgia School Choice Week: Gov. Kemp Encourages Access to Quality Education for Every Kid

A diverse group of students holding a 'National School Choice Week' banner, representing inclusivity in education.

Georgia School Choice Week: Gov. Kemp Encourages Access to Quality Education for Every Kid

Key Points

  • A new proclamation from Governor Brian Kemp has designated January 21-27, 2024, as School Choice Week in Georgia.
  • Georgia School Choice Week celebrates the fact that every kid is unique and more education options mean parents, educators, and communities can improve education and life outcomes for all students. 
  • In 2024, Georgia lawmakers can expand education options by passing Promise Scholarships, expanding the Tax Credit Scholarship for private school access, and allowing public school transfers.

A new proclamation from Governor Brian Kemp has designated January 21-27, 2024, as School Choice Week in Georgia. Georgia is one of several states holding this event as part of National School Choice Week

National School Choice Week is an annual, multi-state initiative that engages parents, schools, community organizations, and elected officials in promoting the benefits of school choice and the education options available within each state. 

A proclamation from Georgia Governor Bill Kemp celebrating National School Choice Week. The document features official seals and signatures, emphasizing the commitment to providing diverse educational options for students across the state.

Georgia Governor Bill Kemp’s proclamation highlights the commitment to fostering diverse educational options so that the state is investing in one of our state’s most valuable resources: our students and their futures.

A proclamation from Georgia Governor Bill Kemp celebrating National School Choice Week. The document features official seals and signatures, emphasizing the commitment to providing diverse educational options for students across the state.

Georgia Governor Bill Kemp proudly celebrates National School Choice Week with a proclamation, adorned with official seals and signatures. The proclamation highlights the commitment to fostering diverse educational options for students throughout the state.

School Choice Week focuses on giving parents and educators the tools to improve education outcomes for all students 

First and foremost, School Choice Week celebrates the fact that every kid is unique. While public schools will continue to be a great option for many students, states are realizing that families need more education choices and flexibility overall. There’s no one-size-fits-all learning  environment that can accommodate the diversity of learning needs that exist within our communities. 

Parents know this well—so much so that the desire to give kids a quality, customized education motivated one in five parents to switch schools between March 2020 and May 2022. In 2023, polling found that 75% of parents, including two-thirds of Hispanic parents, supported more choices within the K-12 education system. Teachers share this support, as well: A majority think that Education Savings Accounts are a good idea. 

Why all the positive support for school choice? More choice in education is a win for everyone. It expands opportunities for all families, not just those who can afford to make a choice or live in a certain area. States with robust choice programs tend to achieve better academic outcomes for all students, including those in the public school system. 

These education outcomes are directly linked to students’ long-term success. Students who complete high school tend to have higher lifetime earnings, better health, more involvement in their communities, decreased mortality rates, fewer criminal records, and lower teen pregnancy rates. 

With so much at stake, a child’s zip code should not limit their access to a quality education. 

Georgia has opportunities to expand education options in 2024

Georgia’s School Choice Week coincides with the early weeks of the 2024 legislative session, making it a good time to consider the opportunities our elected officials have to shape a more modern, equitable education system in Georgia. 

Here are few ways Georgia lawmakers could expand access to quality education for families this year: 

  • Pass Promise Scholarships (SB 233): The Georgia Promise Scholarship is a proposed education choice program that would allow parents to access the best schooling option for their child. These state-funded scholarships would give parents $6,500 per student for each school year and expand opportunity for kids in the bottom 25% of public schools. The bill needs to be passed by the House in 2024 and receive the governor’s signature in order to be enacted.

     

  • Increase the Tax Credit Scholarship Cap: Costs often put private school options out of reach for lower and middle-income households. Georgia’s tax credit scholarship program alleviates some of this inequity by making private school scholarships available to K-12 public school students in need. Raising the scholarship cap would allow the program to serve even more kids. In 2024, the House of Representatives is considering a bill that would raise the cap from $120 million to $130 million.

     

  • Allow Public School Transfers: We often think of school choice as alternatives to public schools, but there are ways to build flexibility into the public school system itself. This is a worthwhile goal because strong public schools will continue to be beneficial to communities. A proposed senate bill would allow students to transfer to a different public school within their district or a different district, making it easier for families to access the public school best suited to their child’s needs. Georgia Senators have a chance to pass that bill in the current session.

Behind all of these potential reforms, there’s a significant question about the future of education in Georgia: Will we keep pace with other states expanding education opportunity, or will Georgia continue to fall further behind

Ways to participate in Georgia’s School Choice Week

See a full list of ideas here, and check out these ideas specifically for Georgia parents. 

For communities, school choice is a powerful tool. When options exist—both public schools and alternatives—parents, educators, and communities have tools to focus on what matters most: Nurturing the development, success, and happiness of Georgia’s kids. 

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Champions Educational Opportunity in State of the State Address, Calls for Unity on Promise Scholarship

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Champions Educational Opportunity in State of the State Address, Calls for Unity on Promise Scholarship

Media statement, in the news, Georgia news, ga news

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Champions Educational Opportunity in State of the State Address, Calls for Unity on Promise Scholarship

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp used a significant portion of his State of the State address today to urge lawmakers to expand educational opportunity in the new session. Kemp said:

Many members in both chambers have worked hard on this important issue and I want to thank and applaud them for their efforts.
Some prefer the term school choice or educational freedom, some call them vouchers.

In my opinion, what each of those terms or slogans fail to mention is the child. At the end of the day, our first and foremost consideration should be the future of that student.

Our job is not to decide for each family, but to support them in making the best choice for their child.

This week, as we begin the second year of another biennial of the General Assembly, I believe we have run out of “next years.”

I firmly believe we can take an all-of-the-above approach to education… whether it’s public, private, homeschooling, charter, or otherwise.

It is time for all parties to get around a table and agree on the best path forward to provide our kids the best educational opportunities we can – because that’s what we were elected to do.

To that end, my office and I look forward to working with the members and leadership of both chambers to get a bill passed and signed into law this session.

The Georgia Center for Opportunity’s (GCO) take: “Gov. Kemp is exactly right — the time for educational opportunity is now, and Promise Scholarships are the best step forward to accomplish it,” said Buzz Brockway, vice president of public policy for GCO. “With the governor, we applaud the courageous lawmakers who have championed Promise Scholarships in the House and Senate, and we encourage those who are still holding out on their support to consider what’s best for children, not what’s best for a system. We look forward to working with the governor and legislative leaders to make Promise Scholarships a reality this session.”

2024: A Year of Unique Opportunities to Change Lives and Help Our Neighbors

2024: A Year of Unique Opportunities to Change Lives and Help Our Neighbors

Safety-net reform discussion in progress Georgia Promise Scholarship advocates Raising Highly Capable Kids program session Collaborative community safety planning Economic empowerment through BETTER WORK Educational opportunity supporters in action Community leaders addressing employment barriers Policy reform meeting on public safety Family stability and well-being empowerment Networking for local job opportunities

2024: A Year of Unique Opportunities to Change Lives and Help Our Neighbors

Key Points

  • Building off our success in 2023, the new year presents unique opportunities to build better lives for our neighbors through the power of work, education, family, and safer communities.

  • Our goal is for 2024 to be the year that safety-net reform takes hold in states across the country, while educational freedom becomes a reality at home here in Georgia as Promise Scholarships finally become a reality.
  • We hope this year will also bring safer communities in big and small cities alike through key public safety reforms.

One word that often comes to mind at the beginning of a new year is “hope.” As 2024 dawns, the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) is working hard to help everyone — especially the poor and disadvantaged — experience the wonder of hope by envisioning a better future for themselves and their loved ones. They can live better. They can become better.

Time and time again, government has proven that it can’t help people escape systemic, generational poverty. While the safety net is important, viewing it as a way of life saps people of their humanity and unfairly limits their potential. The poor deserve to know that poverty is escapable, not just survivable. And they deserve a helping hand to escape.

These solutions come from homes, neighborhoods, and local communities. This is where aspirations and dreams are born. No handout can substitute for this.

With this vision in mind, we will be dedicating 2024 to making positive changes in a few key areas that greatly affect the quality and trajectory of life for those who are most vulnerable. We built significant momentum last year on a range of issues, and that’s setting the stage for even bigger impact this year.

Here’s some of what’s on tap for us in the new year.

Safety-net reform will yield new opportunities

We’re taking on the safety-net system by advancing reforms in Congress, Georgia, and states across the country to create a more humane system that rewards work and creates a bridge to self-sufficiency.

We should look to Utah as an example of a state in the nation that is leading the way on safety-net reforms. The Beehive State’s One Door policy has integrated human services with workforce services and provides citizens with a single program to work through. Welfare becomes work support, and people have a clear path to get the help they need while receiving education, training, and other support to find employment.

This year, working with our Alliance for Opportunity partnership as a platform, we are advancing federal legislation to allow all states to adopt the One Door model—something that federal law currently prohibits. In Georgia, we are working with state policymakers to create a One Door task force so that our state is prepared to implement more holistic safety-net policies, especially when federal law is no longer a barrier. 

On a similar front, we are working to educate lawmakers and the public on the problem of benefits cliffs. Put simply, benefits cliffs are when an individual, family, or household loses more in net income and benefits from governmental assistance programs than it gains from additional earnings. This net loss is a perverse incentive that undermines the natural desire to earn more income. Thanks to GCO’s original research, we are crafting program-specific solutions to reduce benefits cliffs in food stamps/SNAP and childcare assistance. 

These solutions will build off the momentum created in states like Missouri, which became the first last year to address public assistance provisions, breaking ground in reforming safety-net benefits.

Safety-net programs have a role in helping the most vulnerable in our society. Ultimately, reforms are not about making government more efficient. They are about ensuring safety-net progams serve as a bridge, not a barrier, to better opportunities and futures.

 

Expanding educational opportunity will benefit all students

Could 2024 be the year that—finally—education opportunity is extended to all of Georgia’s students, not just a privileged few?

Our hope is the answer is yes. We’re fighting to give every child in Georgia access to a quality education as the Georgia Promise Scholarship bill comes back for a final vote in the recently convened 2024 legislative session. Promise Scholarships would give parents $6,500 per student per year to find the right education option for their kids. The bill cleared the state Senate in 2023 but stalled in the House. 

Promise Scholarships are the cornerstone of our education agenda in 2024, but they are not the only priority. We are also encouraging lawmakers to expand the ceiling on the tax-credit scholarship, to free up families to transfer students between public schools within districts and in separate districts entirely, and make key improvements to charter school laws.

It’s well past time Georgia caught up with the rapidly growing list of other forward-thinking states that are expanding educational opportunity to all.

 

Support for parents will strengthen families

This year is an exciting phase for our Raising Highly Capable Kids (RHCK) program, which we launched in 2023 to give communities a better resource for nurturing family stability and well-being.   

RHCK is a 13-week evidence-based parenting program designed to build stronger families by empowering parents with the confidence, tools, and skills they need to raise healthy, caring, and responsible children.

A driving factor of long-term poverty is a lack of connection and supportive relationships, especially at home. That’s why we are prioritizing RHCK. At its heart is a curriculum that teaches the building blocks of healthy child development. In 2024, we’re working with partners and schools to expand RHCK. We believe the program will be a powerful way to give parents, caregivers, and educators tools and support to improve kids’ academic achievement, relationships, and overall success in life.

In 2024, the Georgia Center for Opportunity spearheads transformative initiatives, ranging from safety-net reforms and educational advancements to family support and community safety, all geared towards breaking the cycle of poverty and fostering a brighter, more empowered future for individuals and families.

In 2024, the Georgia Center for Opportunity spearheads transformative initiatives, ranging from safety-net reforms and educational advancements to family support and community safety, all geared towards breaking the cycle of poverty and fostering a brighter, more empowered future for individuals and families.

Key reforms will lead to safer communities

Community violence is another barrier to economic opportunity and healthy communities. Individuals and families can only truly thrive when neighborhoods and streets are safe. 

Through community collaborations with law enforcement, policymakers, and community leaders, we’ll help Georgia cities like Atlanta and Columbus reverse the tide of rising violence that has been damaging the family bonds, work opportunities, and educational pathways needed to break the cycle of poverty.

In Columbus, the Columbus Empowerment Network is leading to crime reductions, and we expect more local policy reforms to be adopted in 2024. While much of the focus on increasing crime rates centers on large metro areas, smaller cities like Columbus are still important and have seen concerning upticks in crime.

Our team is also active in moving forward policy in other states, including California, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Washington State, and Kentucky. In Louisville, for example, our work has helped shape an omnibus crime solution bill, which is expected to pass their state House this year. Louisville is important as a national example because it’s one of the most challenging public safety environments in the country, and solutions that work in this city have a good probability of working elsewhere—including Georgia. 

 

Breaking down employment barriers will transform generations

For those who struggle in poverty, an upwardly mobile job is often the first and best step toward self-sufficiency. That’s why we will continue to work through our BETTER WORK initiative in Gwinnett County and Columbus to build our local support systems to empower men and women to find work. We’ll also cultivate an environment of community safety where business and job opportunities abound.

In Columbus, a new focus for 2024 will be on partnering with local leaders and law enforcement to keep crime from driving away businesses and job opportunities. Meanwhile in Gwinnett, we’re laser focused on building out our network of employer partners, nonprofits, schools, and other community organizations to provide a bridge to a better life for the disadvantaged. And overall, we will continue our partnership with Jobs for Life as well as our mentor program.