It’s the beginning of a new school year for many school systems across the state. And as students return to the classroom, Georgia House leadership looks back at several key bills passed during the 2024 legislative that they say “champion Georgia’s students, teachers, schools and families by bolstering our education funding and providing parents with the ability to pursue the educational options best suited to their children’s needs.”
One of those bills was SB 233 – The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act — which provides families with state-funded scholarships to be used toward a non-public education of their choice. The program is designed to cater to a wide array of educational needs, ensuring students can pursue a wide range of educational offerings.
Initially, the state will provide $6,500 per school year to each participating student. In future years, this amount could increase or decrease depending on whether the state’s K-12 public-school budget grows or gets smaller.
This bill passed with the support of House Leadership – including Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, R-Milton, and Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, 91-82, with one vote to spare.
“Thousands of students and teachers throughout Georgia will begin this school year with increased resources, funding and opportunities,” said Speaker Burns. “From historic investments in Pre-K programs, early literacy initiatives and teacher pay raises to school safety funding and school choice vouchers—providing access to quality education for every Georgia student continues to be a top priority for the House.”
Other key House education bills passed during the 2023 session include:
HB 353 – The Georgia Lottery for Education Act made adjustments to COAM regulations which provided an avenue for a $97 million increase in funding for the Georgia Pre-K Program.
HB 916 – The 2024-2025 budget fully funds Quality Basic Education, provides $2,500 teacher pay raises and allocates $45,000 annually to every public school for safety resources.
SB 464 – The School Supplies for Teachers Program streamlined the early literacy testing process throughout the state by providing a free universal screener to every Georgia school system.
