State Board of Education Meeting Report - April 2026
- May 29
- 3 min read
The State Board of Education (SBOE) met April 29 and 30.
The meeting focused on the renewal of charter system charters and amendments to strategic waiver contracts.
A meeting agenda is available through the button below.
Make Educator Voices Heard in Upcoming Election |
 Several important elections are taking place in Georgia this year. Voters will select multiple statewide offices, including governor and state school superintendent. Georgians will also decide on several federal and state legislative offices. All of these elections will impact how education policy is shaped in the future.
The next election will be a primary election runoff June 16. In this runoff election, Fred "Bubba" Longgrear will face incumbent Richard Woods in a race to become the Republican candidate for state school superintendent. The winner will face the Democratic candidate, Lydia Powell, in the Nov. 3 general election. Several other primary races are also being decided in this runoff election.
PAGE has developed an Elections Dashboard that provides members with election dates, candidate information, and links to state voter resources. A recording of PAGE's state school superintendent candidate forum can also be viewed on the dashboard by clicking the associated link. The video shows the candidates, including those who made it to the upcoming runoff, answering questions submitted by educators. |
District Flexibility & Charter System Approvals
Multiple charter system and district flexibility contracts were considered by the board. Some district requests were the subject of significant examination and discussion by board members. Renewal requests for Calhoun City and Liberty County Schools were pulled for separate, roll-call votes.
Multiple board members voiced concerns about issues in Liberty County, including absenteeism rates. The district was asked to provide a report at the August board meeting outlining how it plans to address these concerns. Ultimately, charter renewals for Calhoun City and Liberty County sc
hool districts were approved with a divided vote. The board also expressed a desire for more information on how the Charter Advisory Committee arrives at its recommendations.
The remaining districts had their requests approved via the consent agenda:
· Walton County
· Heard County
· Baldwin County
· Carrollton City
· Dougherty County
· Fannin County
· Floyd County
· Fulton County
· Gordon County
Morgan County
Rules and Other Board Actions
The board voted to initiate a new rule 160-4-2-.49 High School Graduation Requirements for Students Enrolling in the Ninth Grade for the First Time in the 2023-2024 School Year and Subsequent Years.
They also approved posting the following standards for public comments:
Further information on the proposed rules and standards, as well as instructions for submitting public comments, can be found HERE.
The board also approved a waiver request from Social Circle City Schools and approved new lists of local board governance training providers and the private schools authorized to participate in the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program for the 2026-27 school year.
All items on the consent agenda were approved.
Other Presentations
Georgia Teacher of the Year, Rachel Kinsaul, spoke about the Statewide Day of Service, which took place on March 18. She highlighted activities undertaken by students in several schools throughout the state.
Staff from the Office of Federal Programs provided an update on their work and announced the recipients of various student awards.
It was noted the July SBOE meeting will coincide with the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) summer conference in Savannah. Board members noted that GSBA is currently celebrating its 75th anniversary.
 | Next Meeting
The next board meetings will be June 8 and 9 in Savannah, Georgia. The full 2026 SBOE meeting calendar is available here. |
