Curriculum and Policy Subcommittees of House Ed Pass Capital Outlay and Alternative School Legislation
The Education Curriculum Subcommittee of the House Education Committee passed HB 81 by Rep. John Corbett (R-Lake Park). The legislation changes Capital Outlay eligibility criteria for low wealth school districts. Qualifying districts are those currently ranked in the bottom 25 percent of districts for purposes of sales tax revenue or those ranked in the bottom quartile for the three most recent school years. The legislation assigns the State Board of Education (SBOE) oversight authority to make related rules and regulations and says that such rules should prioritize districts with the lowest tax revenue in the event that available state Capital Outlay funding falls short of requests for grants.
HB 81 will next be considered by the full House Education Committee.
The Education Policy Subcommittee of House Education also met Monday, Feb. 6, and passed HB 87 sponsored by House Education Chair Rep. Chris Erwin (R-Homer), which seeks to change school governance, academic accountability, and funding requirements for alternative high schools. The legislation applies to Mountain Education Charter High School, Foothills Education Charter High School, and Coastal Plains Charter High School, which serve non-traditional students who have dropped out or who are at risk of dropping out.
Erwin characterized the bill as serving students who need supports outside the structure of traditional high schools. The schools will be reclassified under state law, and students will be designated as either “program students” or “LEA students,” depending on age. House Pro Tempore Jan Jones (R-Milton), the second signer on the bill, spoke in support, and noted the legislation would require more local funding for the schools in shared responsibility with state and federal governments.
Leaders representing the three schools testified in support of the legislation, though two noted, but did not elaborate on, preferred changes to the bill.
HB 87 now moves to the full House Education Committee.
Register Now for PAGE Day on Capitol Hill
PAGE Day on Capitol Hill, in conjunction with the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL), and the Georgia Association for Colleges of Teacher Education (GACTE), is coming up soon. Please register now to join us Tuesday, Feb. 21, for this free event. You will learn more about pending education legislation and advocate for educators, students, and public education.
If you previously registered for PAGE Day on Capitol Hill and did not receive a confirmation email from "PAGE Events," please register again at the link above. We discovered a technical issue in our registration system that has been fixed. Contact Josh Stephens at jstephens@pageinc.org if you need assistance.
Upcoming Schedule
Tuesday, Feb. 7 – Legislative Day 14
Joint Senate Education & Youth and Higher Education Committee Meeting, 2:30 p.m., 450 CAP
Wednesday, Feb. 8 – Legislative Day 15
Senate Appropriations, Education & Higher Education Subcommittee, 7:30 a.m., 307 CLOB
Joint Senate Education & Youth and Higher Education Committee Meeting, 2 p.m., 307 CLOB
Thursday, Feb. 9 – Legislative Day 16