For Immediate Release
Friday, June 26
Georgia Legislature Shows Outstanding Support for Public Charter School Funding & Legislation
ATLANTA鈥擥eorgia Charter Schools Association (91桃色视频)听is grateful to members of the General Assembly for ensuring public charter schools were treated fairly in the FY21 budget and for approving House Bill 957 and HB 755鈥攖wo critical bills that will benefit Georgia鈥檚 public charter school students and teachers for years to come. We know these were not easy decisions in a budget year filled with challenges due to the COVID-19 crisis. We鈥檙e thankful that state lawmakers made the decision to put students first.
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鈥淲e want to express our gratitude to bill sponsors, House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, Rep. Dave Belton and Sen. Matt Brass. We also want to thank House Education Chairman Rick Jasperse and Senate Education Chairman P.K. Martin. These lawmakers are true champions for Georgia鈥檚 children,鈥� said Tony Roberts, 91桃色视频 President and CEO. 鈥淲e also appreciate all of the state legislators who voted in favor of this crucial legislation. HB 957 and HB 755 enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support. These votes show that lawmakers in both parties favor financial transparency and understand the important role public charter schools play in improving the overall public school system.鈥� 听
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The revised FY21 budget approved by the Georgia General Assembly protects crucial funding for charter school facilities. Our public charter schools rely on these funds because unlike traditional schools, charter schools have the burden of paying facilities and maintenance costs. The loss of this funding would have been devastating in a year where charter school budgets are already stretched thin due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Charter School Facility Grant
Under the FY21 budget that gained legislative approval, the Charter School Facility Grant will only see a reduction of $4,000 (<1%) from the previous fiscal year. Just two weeks ago, a $2 million (57%) cut was proposed to this funding. 91桃色视频 oversaw an effort, along with our member schools, coalition members and advocates, calling on state lawmakers to ensure any reduction to the Charter School Facility Grant was fair. Lawmakers received 5,500 emails from students, educators and families asking them to restore critical funding.
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House Bill 957
,听sponsored by Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones,听gained unanimous passage in the Georgia Senate on Saturday, June 20.听(Passed the Senate 42-0.)听The bill is awaiting Gov. Kemp鈥檚 signature. The 91桃色视频 supported legislation codifies in law that charter school employees shall be included in the health insurance fund for public school teachers, updates the 2019 lottery听bill, extends the term of SCSC Commission members, clarifies who is responsible for records of closed charter schools, and revises the deadline for virtual school audits.听(Passed the House 165-4.)听
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House Bill 755
,听sponsored by Rep.听Dave听Belton, was unanimously approved by the Georgia Senate on Thursday, June 25 (Passed the Senate 50-0). The bill now heads to Gov. Kemp鈥檚 desk. The legislation听requires local boards of education to provide local charter schools with annual allotment sheets that itemize how much local, state and federal funding is being provided to charter schools. It also requires 30 days’ notice before any allocation is adjusted.听(Passed the听House听163-4).听听
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We鈥檙e extremely grateful for this critical legislative support, and we believe it will make a huge difference for the more than 77,000 charter school students in our state. Georgia Charter Schools Association will continue to work to ensure that all Georgia students have the opportunity to receive a high-quality public education.
About Georgia Charter Schools Association
The听Georgia听Charter听Schools Association is a nonprofit membership organization for听Georgia鈥檚 public听charter schools and petitioners. Our mission is to听advocate for, foster and support autonomous, high-quality charter public schools throughout Georgia. We believe every child in Georgia should have equal access to a high-quality, transformative public education.
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CONTACT: Michelle Wirth
Director of Communications
Georgia Charter Schools Association
mwirth@gacharters.org听
