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SUMMARY:
LC 33 7585 LC 46 0162S LC 33 8008S
Prohibits entities that provide accreditation of elementary
or secondary schools from being a student scholarship organization
The Senate Committee On Education and Youth submitted a substitute to this bill that now includes a section on education savings account vouchers.
"Georgia Educational Scholarship
Act" is an "education savings account" voucher. Would establish
an account composed of state funds that are deposited on behalf of a
participating student to use for qualified education expenses as listed in the
bill. A student may qualify for an account under
this act if they have one or more of the following criteria:
- Student's
parents currently reside in Georgia
- The
student has spent the prior school year in attendance at a Georgia public
school system or school systems for funding purposes during the preceding
October and March full-time equivalent (FTE) program counts
- The
student has a family income below the 150 percent of the federal poverty
level and is currently enrolled in a public school in this state
- Has
been adopted from foster care
- Has
a parent who is an active duty military service member stationed in
Georgia with the previous year
- Has
one or more of the following disabilities: autism, deaf/blind, deaf/hard
of hearing, emotional and behavioral disorder, intellectual disability,
orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, specific learning
disability, speech-language impairment, traumatic brain injury or visual
impairment and has an Individual Education Program (IEP) written.
- Has
a documented case of being bullied and currently enrolled in Georgia
public school
- Student's
parents sign an agreement promising to provide an education for the
participating student in at least the subjects of reading, grammar,
math, social studies and science; not to enroll the student in a local
school system, local charter school or state charter school while participating
in this program and to use account funds for qualified education
expenses.
The voucher amount for students would be "an amount equivalent to the costs of the educational program that would have been provided for the student in the resident school system”. The voucher amount will be calculated and reduced by the local five mill share amount, austerity reductions and any other state mandated reductions that occur midyear. This amount does not include any federal funds. Voucher students would be counted in
enrollment of school system for funding purposes and not be included as enrolled
for purposes of state or federal accountability requirements The funds
needed for their account would be deducted from the district's QBE allotment. School districts would have to report the
number of participants quarterly to the Governor's Office of Student
Achievement. GOSA would then transfer quarterly payments to the district
to be disbursed. The first-year participation would be limited
to one-half of 1% of the statewide enrollment in the 2017-18 school year. Each
year following, the number will increase by the same percentage up to a maximum
of 2.5%. In any school year in which there are austerity reductions, no new
applications shall be accepted or approved. If more students apply than
allowed, enrollment will be on a first come, first served basis. Unused amounts could roll over. Upon
high school graduation, any funds left over are to be returned to the state
general fund. The program would be administered by the
Governor's Office of Student Achievement.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2019 |
