HB 440 (Reps. Glanton-D, Dudgeon-R, Stovall-D, and Casas-R

Business and Education Succeeding Together (BEST) Act

This bill extends a new $12 Million opportunity for Georgia's C corporations to divert Georgia income tax liability to Student Scholarship Organizations to support student scholarships for transfering from public school to private schools in Georgia.

Specifically, the BEST tax credit would credit 100% of a businesses preapproved donation to a Student Scholarship Organization.  There appears to be no limitation on the amount, or percentage of tax liability, as currently exists in the G.O.A.L. legislation.  Preapproval is based on how much of the annual $12 Million limit remains.

Contributions cannot be designated for specific schools or students by the donor.

Elibible students include those students who were enrolled and attended for at least six weeks in a Gerogia secondary or primary public schools or is elitible to enroll in a qualified first grade or kindergarten program.  Students declared to be BEST eligible, shall remain eligible until they graduate, reach the age or 20, or return to public school. The 6 week enrollment requirement is waived for studnets who are or would be zoned to attend a school that the Office of Student Achievement determins to be a low-performing school, or who is the subject of officially documented cases of school-based physical violence or student-related verbal abuse threatening physical harm, was enrolled in a home study program for at least one year prior to receiving the scholarship or tuition grant, or who is already served by an existing student scholarship organization for the prior school year.

BEST qualified schools or programs must:

• Annually administer nationally norm-referenced tests or the state tests that measure learning gains and provide for value added assessment to all participating BEST students in grades that require testing under the state's accountability testing laws for public schools.
• Provide the parents of each BEST student a copy of the results of the test administered on an annual basis beginning with the first year of testing.
• Provide the test results of BEST students to the Office of Student Achievement on an annual basis beginning with the first year of testing.
• Report BEST student information that would allow the state to aggregate data by grade level, gender, family income level and race.
• Provide graduation rates of BEST students to the Office of Student Achievement in a manner consistent with nationally recognized standards.
• Be accredited or in the process of becoming accredited by an approved accredidation entity.
•  Be located in Georgia and adhere to the provisions of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and satisfy the requirements prescribed by law for private schools in Georgia.
• Agree to hold in reserve no more than three years of BEST funds for any individual student.