Lawmakers are taking a break today for St. Patrick’s Day, but committees spent much of the last week on education bills that had crossed over from their originating chamber. The House Education Committee began looking at a bill by President Pro Tem John Kennedy, R-Macon, that addresses chronic absenteeism.
SB 123 addresses concerns that have arisen since the pandemic. According to reports, chronic absenteeism percentages in Georgia schools hovered around 12 percent prior to Covid but the rate has increased significantly – and for the past 3 years has sustained a consistent rate above 20 percent. Kennedy says the number of students chronically absent in Georgia doubled between 2019 and 2023 – a clear indicator of a growing crisis across the state. In 2024, 21.7 percent of students – or nearly 360,000 young people – missed 10 percent or more school days.
SB 123 mandates that school districts re-establish school climate committees to address chronic absenteeism. The chief superior court judge would head the committee — which is required to convene twice a year. Under this legislation, the committees would be required to revise attendance protocols for each district by June 1, 2026. Each district would be required to submit an annual absenteeism report to the legislature and make it accessible to the public.
The bill passed out of committee unanimously and now heads to Rules.
SB 82 by Sen. Clint Dixon, R-Gwinnett, seeks to promote local approval of charter schools by creating an incentive grant program overseen by the State Charter Schools Commission. School districts would receive grant funds when they approve charter schools. Under this legislation, any district that denies local charter petitions must provide written notice. Also any district that denies multiple petitions that are subsequently approved by the state would not be able to renew their strategic waivers for three years or until the State Board of Education (SBOE) determines local boards have demonstrated a commitment to increasing student performance.
SB 17, by Sen. Jason Anavitarte, R-Dallas, requires school districts to implement a mobile panic alert system that connects directly with emergency services. Districts must also procure detailed digital mapping of each public and private school in their district and provide the maps on paper and in digital format. The bill passed unanimously out of the Education Policy Subcommittee and now moves to the full House Education Committee.
State education leaders presented the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget to the Senate Appropriations Education Subcommittee. The budget has already been approved by the House by a 171-4 vote. The House added $98 million for education, particularly for school safety and student mental health.
Several FY26 Budget House Version Highlights:
● $5 million to add funds to establish grants for social work services.
● $19.5 million to add funds to establish student mental health support grants.
● $150K increase in funds for a school safety coordinator at GaDOE to work with GEMA/HS on school safety.
