GCO applauds signing of Promise Scholarships bill, says more work needs to be done

GCO applauds signing of Promise Scholarships bill, says more work needs to be done

by | Apr 23, 2024

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GCO applauds signing of Promise Scholarships bill, says more work needs to be done

PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA—Today, the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) applauded Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia legislature for ushering into law the Promise Scholarships bill that will bring much-needed relief to the over half-a-million low- and middle-income kids stuck in low-performing schools.

“We are thankful to Gov. Kemp and the many House and Senate lawmakers who recognized the urgency of the moment and advanced a bill to provide much-needed opportunity to bolster academic options,” said Buzz Brockway, GCO’s vice president of public policy. “Passing Promise Scholarships is a momentous milestone for tens of thousands of Georgia kids struggling in a system that doesn’t work for them. It recognizes that Georgia is a diverse state with a diverse set of needs for education. After years of work, this bill is a positive step toward shaping an education system that honors every child’s unique situation and prevents a lack of quality education from locking children and communities into poverty.”

Senate Bill 233 will make students from the lowest performing 25% of public schools eligible to receive $6,500 a year set aside in an account. Parents can then use the funds to cover approved educational expenses, including private school tuition, books, uniforms, and even transportation.

SB 233 also gives first priority to students from families below 400% of the federal poverty level — around $120,000 a year for a family of four. Students above that threshold will be allowed to participate if funds are left over after the lower-income students are served.

Promise Scholarships will serve an estimated 21,500 kids when the program goes live for the 2025-2026 school year.

Georgia now joins a growing list of states offering educational options for all students. In the Southeast, Alabama, Florida, and North Carolina have recently enacted universal Education Savings Account programs, while South Carolina is in the process of creating a universal program in the coming years.

“The urgency to create an education lifeline for kids can’t be overstated. Education is a basic need. Lack of access to quality options is a major cause of many of the ills in our society, including putting a cap on upward mobility. A lack of quality education locks children into poverty and prevents communities from thriving,” said Brockway.

Although GCO praised passage of Promise Scholarships, Randy Hicks, GCO’s president and CEO, cautioned that the bill is just a first step.

“Unfortunately, the final compromise bill was watered down in a number of ways that will limit its reach,” said Hicks. “Funding for Promise Scholarships is capped to 1% of public school funding and there is a 10-year sunset on the entire program. It’s a positive step that over 20,000 students will be eligible for educational freedom, that number is a drop in the bucket compared to the need. We will continue building on this foundation for the future so that all of Georgia’s schoolchildren have options.”

 

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Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) is independent, non-partisan, and solutions-focused. Our team is dedicated to creating opportunities for a quality education, fulfilling work, and a healthy family life for all Georgians. To achieve our mission, we research ways to help remove barriers to opportunity in each of these pathways, promote our solutions to policymakers and the public, and help effective and innovative social enterprises deliver results in their communities.

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Georgia Passes Promise Scholarships and Expands Education Opportunity

Georgia Passes Promise Scholarships and Expands Education Opportunity

by | Apr 23, 2024

Georgia's new education choice program, the Georgia Promise Scholarship, expands education opportunities for kids in low-performing public schools

Georgia Passes Promise Scholarships and Expands Education Opportunity

Key Points

  • Georgia lawmakers and Gov. Kemp have officially passed Senate Bill 233, which creates a new education option called the Georgia Promise Scholarship program. 
  • Promise Scholarships will help students in low-performing public schools. Eligible students can receive $6,500 scholarships to access different education options that match their needs.
  • The program is a positive first step toward an education system that works for every Georgia kid. To make an even bigger difference, lawmakers should work toward opening up the program to all Georgia students.

On April 23, 2024, Governor Brian Kemp signed SB 233, the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, into law. This education savings account program—the first of its kind in Georgia—will give parents access to $6,500 state-funded scholarships that they can use to afford the education option best suited to their child’s needs. 

The Promise Scholarship Program empowers parents to give their kids quality education and brighter futures 

Promise Scholarships will be state-administered, state-funded accounts that give parents $6,500 per year and per student to use for approved education expenses. The program will be available beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. 

Parents can use these scholarships for a variety of education costs, including: 

  • Tuition and fees for private schools, online classes, college courses, and vocational programs
  • Tutoring services
  • Curriculum and textbooks
  • Educational therapies
  • Technology, including adaptive or assistive technologies for students with special needs
  • Transportation costs

Because of this flexibility, Promise Scholarships allow parents to consider a wide range of options—from homeschooling to private schools to other unique combinations of education services. 

“The best gift we can give our next generation is a quality education that opens the doors for new opportunities.” — Randy Hicks, GCO President & CEO

“The best gift we can give our next generation is a quality education that opens the doors for new opportunities.” — Randy Hicks, GCO President & CEO

Promise Scholarship eligibility focuses on low- and middle-income students 

SB 233 limits Promise Scholarship access to students enrolled in the bottom 25% of Georgia’s public schools, as ranked by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. 

First priority will also be given to students from families below 400% of the federal poverty level—around $120,000 a year for a family of four. Students above that threshold will be allowed to participate if funds are left over after the lower-income students are served.

These parameters—plus the funding cap that SB 233 puts on the program—means that Promise Scholarships will serve an estimated 21,000-22,000 kids out of half a million that are stuck in low-performing public schools. 

See all the student eligibility requirements here. 

The Georgia Promise Scholarship is an important step for updating our education system

SB 233 is a good step toward giving Georgia families access to high-quality, diverse education options. With more education options, students will have even better opportunities to get an education that’s tailored to their needs and sets them up for success in today’s fast-changing world. But if Georgia is serious about investing in our communities, we must keep working to close the education opportunity gap for all of Georgia’s kids. 

By passing SB 233, Georgia is catching up to neighboring states like Alabama, Florida, North Carolina that have already adopted education savings account programs. 

While Georgia is starting out with narrow student eligibility, these other states are opting for universal ESA programs, opening access to all students. Georgia will need to be open to this model if we want to give our own students the best possible academic outcomes and opportunities for a flourishing life. 

Thank you to Gov. Kemp and the lawmakers who recognized the urgency of the moment and passed Promise Scholarships to strengthen the key building block of education for thousands of kids across the state. It’s a momentous step toward a system where every child has access to quality education and a good life, regardless of income, race, zip code, or other life circumstances. 

Learn more about the Georgia Promise Scholarship

The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233): Questions and Answers (Georgia Center for Opportunity)

What is the Georgia Promise Scholarship? (Georgia Public Policy Foundation)

The Georgia Promise Scholarship (SB 233): What Private Schools Need to Know (Georgia Center for Opportunity)

Georgia Students Need More Schooling Choices (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Promise Scholarships (Georgia’s Education Savings Accounts) cross a major hurdle

Promise Scholarships (Georgia’s Education Savings Accounts) cross a major hurdle

by | Mar 14, 2024

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

Promise Scholarships (Georgia’s Education Savings Accounts) cross a major hurdle

Key Points

  • On March 14, 2024, the Georgia House voted 91-82 to pass Promise Scholarships (Senate Bill 233: The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act). The bill will return to the Georgia Senate for a review and vote on the changes to the bill.
  • SB 233 would create a much-needed education option for students zoned for a school ranked in the bottom 25%.
  • The Georgia House added restrictions to the bill which will greatly reduce the accessibility and will sunset the bill after 10 years. These are issues which will need to be addressed moving forward to ensure that every child has access to quality education in Georgia.

We have great news to share: Educational opportunity is on the move in Georgia!

On March 14, 2024, the Georgia House voted 91-82 to pass Promise Scholarships (Senate Bill 233: The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act). This bill is an important first step in extending an education lifeline to the over half-a-million low- and middle-income kids stuck in failing public schools. While there is still much more to do as we press toward universal school access, we are thankful to the many House lawmakers who put the needs of kids above politics to advance this measure.

What’s in the Promise Scholarship Bill

With these Promise Scholarships, students in the lowest performing 25% of public schools will be eligible to have $6,500 a year set aside in an account. These are the funds the state would have spent for their public school education. But under this bill, parents can direct the funds to cover approved educational expenses, including private school tuition, books, uniforms, and even transportation.

SB 233 also gives first priority to students from families below 400% of the federal poverty level—around $120,000 a year for a family of four. Students above that threshold will be allowed to participate if funds are left over after the lower-income students are served.

What’s more, public school districts will still receive state funding for any students leaving to participate in the program for a period of two years, giving them time to plan and adjust.

Bringing Promise Scholarships to Georgia Families: What Happened?

In 2023, Georgia education savings accounts cleared the state Senate but fell just a few votes short in the House. However, the bill stayed eligible for consideration in the 2024 legislative session.

Gov. Brian Kemp has voiced strong support for the bill in recent days, leading to the decision in the House to move the bill along.

SB 233 now heads to the Senate for a concurrence vote.

“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

Limits to Promise Scholarships

While we are thankful to see the bill moving this session, the version of SB 233 passed by the House today is watered down in significant ways:

Restricts eligibility and access: The bill caps the amount of revenue available to fund Promise Scholarships to not exceed 1% of public school funding. Even if parent demand maxes out the program, this amount only covers an estimated 22,000 kids. That’s 0.012% of Georgia’s public school student population, and only a fraction of the 500,000+ kids that are stuck in the bottom 25% of public schools.

Applies an expiration date: Unless a future legislative body evaluates the program and chooses to extend it, the Promise Scholarships will end in 10 years. In that decade, lawmakers will still have to vote annually to fund the program. These measures add a layer of uncertainty that makes it difficult to secure a future of success and opportunity for our kids.

A view of the Georgia State Capitol Building, a symbol of political and historical significance in Atlanta, Georgia

Curious how your representative voted on SB 233?
Georgia’s General Assembly puts the voting records online. Go to the legislature’s website and select the vote for March 14, 2024, to see the breakdown of support among state representatives. 

See the Promise Scholarship votes

Student success is at the heart of Promise Scholarships

The passage of SB 233 can’t come soon enough. Georgia is now surrounded by states that are aggressively and urgently addressing the needs of the future generations by adopting education savings accounts, or ESAs, that are open to all students. Alabama, Florida, and North Carolina have recently enacted universal programs, while South Carolina is in the process of creating a universal program in the coming years.

ESAs, particularly universal ones, are good policy because kids need quicker solutions for accessing education options that will work best for them. We can’t wait on reforms that will take years or even decades to take hold. As we’ve seen before, increased funding is no guarantee that poor performing public schools will improve, much less improve quickly. Every semester, our K-12 students have academic milestones they are supposed to hit. And we know that when they don’t achieve these goals, they are more likely to fall further and further behind their peers, putting themselves and their futures at risk. 

SB 233 provides immediate help by making Promise Scholarships available beginning with the school year in 2025.

Education is at the heart of opportunity. Without access to quality schools in Georgia, our kids and our communities will continue down a path where success and opportunity are not open to everyone in the state. An increasing number of families are looking for alternatives, and we must work to deliver a quality education that meets the needs of all students, not just a few.

Related Articles

It’s time for Georgia lawmakers to lead and pass legislation like the Promise Scholarships

It’s time for Georgia lawmakers to lead and pass legislation like the Promise Scholarships

by | Mar 7, 2024

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

It’s time for Georgia lawmakers to lead and pass legislation like the Promise Scholarships

The Alabama legislature has passed a bill that phases in universal Education Savings Accounts over time. It now goes to the desk of Gov. Kay Ivey for her signature. The ESA will be worth up to $7,000 for each student to be used for approved educational expenses.

The Georgia Center for Opportunity’s (GCO) take: “Georgia is now on the cusp of being surrounded by states with universal school choice, or near universal school choice,” said Buzz Brockway, GCO’s vice president of public policy. “That means our state is now an outlier in the southeast when it comes to educational options. We shouldn’t be satisfied to maintain a status quo on this issue that leaves thousands of schoolchildren behind each year. It’s time for Georgia lawmakers to lead and pass legislation like the Promise Scholarships bill that expand educational opportunities across the state to students and families trapped in a system that doesn’t work for them.”

For more on the ways ESAs would help kids in Georgia, check out these resources:

SB 233: Georgia Promise Scholarships Would Help Thousands of Students. Why Are These Districts Voting Against It?

SB 233: Georgia Promise Scholarships Would Help Thousands of Students. Why Are These Districts Voting Against It?

by | Feb 20, 2024

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 Are These Districts Voting 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 will have another chance to vote on the bill this year. 
  • SB 233 would create a much-needed education option for students zoned for a school ranked in the bottom 25% of Georgia’s College and Career Readiness Performance Index for two consecutive years. 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. 

On the one hand, this is the furthest that an education savings account bill has advanced in the Georgia Legislature. The Georgia Senate passed SB 233 on March 6, 2023, by a vote of 33-23. 

On the other hand, 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

Late last year, 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 change 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 2023, 13 have schools 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.

A view of the Georgia State Capitol Building, a symbol of political and historical significance in Atlanta, Georgia

Curious how your representative voted on SB 233?
Georgia’s General Assembly puts the voting records online. Go to the legislature’s website and select the vote for March 29, 2023, to see the breakdown of support among state representatives. 

See the Promise Scholarship votes

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.

Legislators in Georgia have an incredible chance to do something that will set Georgia students on a path toward academic success and a bright future. It’s time to pass SB 233.

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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

by | Feb 2, 2024

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

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.