Georgia Senate committee advances education savings accounts bill

Georgia Senate committee advances education savings accounts bill

by | Mar 1, 2023

In The News

Georgia Senate committee advances education savings accounts bill

The Senate Education Committee voted to advance legislation creating state-funded education savings accounts.

The committee voted 6-5 Tuesday afternoon in favor of Senate Bill 233, the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act.

“Too many times, education access in Georgia is limited to families of means, but every child deserves access to a quality education,” Buzz Brockway, vice president of public policy for the Georgia Center for Opportunity, said in a statement. “Promise Scholarships would help create this opportunity.”

“Public education is the right choice for most families, but for a growing minority of students, an alternative is what’s best,” Brockway added. “We can, and should, support all options.”

Read the full article here

 

Georgia Senate committee advances education savings accounts bill

Georgia Senate committee advances education savings accounts bill

by | Mar 1, 2023

In The News

Georgia Senate committee advances education savings accounts bill

The Senate Education Committee voted to advance legislation creating state-funded education savings accounts.

The committee voted 6-5 Tuesday afternoon in favor of Senate Bill 233, the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act.

“Too many times, education access in Georgia is limited to families of means, but every child deserves access to a quality education,” Buzz Brockway, vice president of public policy for the Georgia Center for Opportunity, said in a statement. “Promise Scholarships would help create this opportunity.”

Read the full article here

 

Senate Bill 233, The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, passed the Senate Education Committee

Senate Bill 233, The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, passed the Senate Education Committee

by | Mar 1, 2023

Education media statement header

Senate Bill 233, The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, passed the Senate Education Committee

 

Senate Bill 233, The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, passed the Senate Education Committee today in a 6-5 vote. 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.

Georgia Center for Opportunity’s (GCO) take: “Too many times, education access in Georgia is limited to families of means, but every child deserves access to a quality education. Promise Scholarships would help create this opportunity,” said Buzz Brockway, vice president of public policy for GCO. “Public education is the right choice for most families, but for a growing minority of students, an alternative is what’s best. We can, and should, support all options.” 

March 2023 Update on SB 233, The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act: 

  • Georgia Senators passed Senate Bill 233 after a floor vote on February 26, 2023. The bill must pass the House of Representatives before the end of March 2023 to receive the Governor’s signature and become law.
  • The bill was amended by the Senate to limit eligibility to students 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. 
  • Funded by the state in the amount of $6,000 per student for each school year, Promise Scholarships would allow parents of students in failing schools to seek out a better education option for their kids. 
  • While the most effective education savings account programs are universal (open to every public school student), the Promise Scholarship Act is an important and positive step toward shaping an education system that gives every Georgia kid better access to quality education. 

 

Have more questions about SB 233? Check out our full explainer on The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act.

 

“Public education is the right choice for most families, but for a growing minority of students, an alternative is what’s best. We can, and should, support all options.”

“Public education is the right choice for most families, but for a growing minority of students, an alternative is what’s best. We can, and should, support all options.”

Georgia Senate committee advances education savings accounts bill

Georgia Senate again pushes $6,000 school voucher bill

by | Feb 28, 2023

In The News

Georgia Senate again pushes $6,000 school voucher bill

Georgia Senate Republicans are again pushing a plan to give $6,000 educational vouchers to many students, part of a nationwide push for what supporters call education savings accounts following the COVID-19 pandemic. The movement is fueled in part by fights over race-related education and how to address gender issues in schools.

The Senate Education and Youth Committee voted 6-5 on Tuesday to pass Senate Bill 233, sending it to the full Senate for more debate. The bill must pass the Senate by Monday for the state House to take it up, or it will likely die for 2023.

Buzz Brockway, a former Republican state House member and chairman of the State Charter Schools Commission, told lawmakers that about 500,000 Georgia students attend schools graded “D” or “F” by the state.

“Those are the kids that need our help, and they need this bill,” said Brockway, who works for the Georgia Center for Opportunity, a poverty-fighting group.

Read the full article here

 

Georgia Senate committee advances education savings accounts bill

Georgia Senate again pushes $6,000 school voucher bill

by | Feb 28, 2023

In The News

Georgia Senate again pushes $6,000 school voucher bill

Georgia Senate Republicans are again pushing a plan to give $6,000 educational vouchers to many students, part of a nationwide push for what supporters call education savings accounts following the COVID-19 pandemic. The movement is fueled in part by fights over race-related education and how to address gender issues in schools.

The Senate Education and Youth Committee voted 6-5 on Tuesday to pass Senate Bill 233, sending it to the full Senate for more debate. The bill must pass the Senate by Monday for the state House to take it up, or it will likely die for 2023.

Buzz Brockway, a former Republican state House member and chairman of the State Charter Schools Commission, told lawmakers that about 500,000 Georgia students attend schools graded “D” or “F” by the state.

“Those are the kids that need our help, and they need this bill,” said Brockway, who works for the Georgia Center for Opportunity, a poverty-fighting group.

Read the full article here

 

GCO applauds introduction of Promise Scholarship bill

GCO applauds introduction of Promise Scholarship bill

by | Feb 23, 2023

Education media statement header

GCO applauds introduction of Promise Scholarship bill

The Georgia Center For Opportunity is thrilled to support new legislation introduced in the Georgia General Assembly creating Promise Scholarship Accounts. Georgia State Senator Greg Dolezal is the primary sponsor of Senate Bill 233, The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act.

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.

“A quality education levels the playing field for all Georgians,” said Buzz Brockway, GCO’s vice president of public policy. “Promise Scholarships would do that by giving eligible students the unique educational experiences that they need. All kids deserve a chance, including students who may need additional help or require a different learning environment. This bill gives a lifeline to students who are not currently served well by their local public school while having no impact on public school funding levels.”

“Our education system should ensure that all students have access to quality education, no matter their race, past mistakes, or circumstances of their birth.

This bill would be a huge step in that direction for kids in our state,” Brockway added.

 

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