Georgia governor signs school choice bill into law

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a major school choice bill Tuesday, with parents, students, advocates and educators in attendance.

“There is nothing more important to the continued success of our state than safeguarding and strengthening the lives, education and future of our students, and that can only be accomplished by ensuring Georgia students have access to as many opportunities and choices as possible that will set them up for success,” Kemp said before he signed the bill.

The Georgia General Assembly passed SB 233, also known as the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, in a 91-82 vote last month, which provides education saving accounts (ESAs) for students who attend the state’s bottom 25% of schools. 

The scholarships will offer up to $6,500 per student, and the program’s funds can be used for private school tuition, as well as expenses such as home study materials, tutoring and therapy. 

The measure was introduced in 2022 but never came up for vote, and in 2023, it failed. However, it was reconsidered this year as the Legislature operates on a two-year cycle, and seven Republicans and one Democrat flipped to vote in favor. 

Rep. Patty Marie Stinson was the lone Democrat who voted for the bill. In 2023, one Democrat, Rep. Mesha Mainor, voted for the school choice measure, though this year she voted in favor as a Republican. 

Previously, one of the reasons why Republicans voted against the bill was because they were worried it would negatively impact the rural public schools in communities without many other educational options. 

However, The GOAL Scholarship Program, which is part of Georgia’s Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit, has shown a positive impact on rural communities. During the 2022-2023 school year, around 60% of GOAL’s scholarships were awarded to students residing outside of metro areas in the state. 

“As I stated in my State of the State address, we can and must take an all-of-the-above approach to K-12 education,” Kemp said, promoting educational freedom. 

Various advocacy groups, including Americans for Prosperity Georgia (AFP), Frontline Policy Action, and Georgia Public Policy Institute supported the bill, while the Georgia Association of Educators and the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition for Action opposed it.  

“Americans for Prosperity organized considerable ground efforts to support the Georgia Promise Scholarship Bill,” said Shane McGonigal, the director of grassroots operations at AFP, in a statement to The Lion.  I am happy with the fruits of our efforts that we saw in the signing of the Senate Bill 233! I am also a homeschool father of four, so this personally meant a lot to me.” 

In addition to the school choice bill, Kemp also signed other education bills Tuesday, including one on charter schools, a program to help teachers purchase supplies for their students, and another on bus safety.