SUMMARY: LC 33 6482ER

Turns the current special needs voucher into an education savings account voucher for all students and transfers the program from the Department of Education to the Governor's Office of Student Achievement 

Eliminates the public school choice options for special needs students that were part of the program

Eliminates the list of disabilities that qualified students previously but still includes references to students with a disability 

Maintains the requirement that a student have been enrolled in a GA public school the year prior 

PROVISIONS:

System must notify annually before the beginning of the school year, the parents of a student with a disability the options available

Other students qualify for the program if the parent signs an agreement promising:

• to provide an education for the scholarship student in at least the subjects of reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, and science
• not to enroll their child in a local public school or state charter school
• to use the funds only for any of ten listed uses including tutoring services, up to $500 in transportation costs, services provided under contract with a public school for individual classes and extracurricular programs 

Student qualifies if the parent currently resides in GA and has done so for at least one year unless the parent is active duty military and was stationed in GA within the previous year 

Parents must ensure the student is annually administered a nationally norm-referenced test identified by the Office of Student Achievement which will at a minimum measure learning in mathematics and English Language Learning.  Students with disabilities for whom testing is not appropriate as determined by the IEP shall be exempt

Students may return to their zoned public school at any time

Parents may direct funds to a school or service provider

Students are counted in the enrollment of their resident school district for purposes of determining the amount of the voucher

Each school district must report quarterly to the Office of Student Achievement the number of voucher students in the district to determine the quarterly disbursement to the parents

Office of Student Achievement shall develop a system for parents to direct the voucher funds to participating schools and service providers by electronic transfer

Office of Student Achievement is authorized to conduct or contract for auditing of the funds and will at a minimum conduct random audits

Office of Student Achievement may deduct an amount from the voucher to cover the costs of administering the program up to 4% and may outsource the administration of the program

Office of Student Achievement must provide report to General Assembly by December 1 each year at least six things including students' satisfaction, parents' satisfaction, performance on norm-referenced tests, percentage of funds used for each allowable purpose, and the fiscal impact to the state and local district 

EFFECTIVE DATE:

July 1, 2016 if approved by the General Assembly and Governor