ATLANTA – Legislation providing private-school vouchers to Georgia students attending low-performing public schools is struggling to get through the General Assembly in the final days of this year’s session.
After a lengthy debate late Thursday, the state House of Representatives tabled a bill that would create $6,500 vouchers for Georgia students.
House Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones, R-Milton, moved to table Senate Bill 233, likely because it did not have the votes to pass. The House voted 95-70 in favor of the motion, with many Democrats voting against putting off a vote on the measure.
That leaves just two legislative days – Monday and Wednesday – to get the bill passed.
“This is a chance to say to those children, those families, ‘We are here to give you an opportunity, a choice to be able to go to an alternative, to be able to do something at home or through hybrid, to be able to allow you to extend the educational opportunity,’” said Rep. Todd Jones, R-South Forsyth, who sponsored the bill in the House.
“We can help the public school system and provide choice. We [have] got to be able to provide a system that allows the family to have an opportunity.”
The Georgia Student Finance Commission would oversee the program, and parents would be required to live in Georgia for one year before availing their children of the scholarships.
Parents could spend the money at private or virtual schools, or for home-schooling and other expenses such as tutoring. Up to $500 could go for transportation.
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