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School Choice in Georgia

Summary

Georgia has two private school choice programs (special-needs vouchers, tax-credit scholarships). The state also has a charter school law and enables public virtual schooling. Open enrollment exists, both for intradistrict and interdistrict public school choice.

Laws & Regulations Governing Private Schools

Constitutionality

Both tax credit and voucher programs are school choice options for Georgia.

The Georgia Constitution contains a Blaine Amendment, but it also contains an education provision (Article VIII, Section 7, paragraph 1) that explicitly authorizes the General Assembly to provide grants and scholarships to students and parents for educational purposes, such as those of voucher programs.

–Quote from the Institute for Justice (April 2007)

Legislative Updates

2/11/2011	February 2011-Legislative Roundup
5/5/2010	May 2010-Post Session Legislative Round-Up
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School Choice Programs

Private School Tax Credit for Donations to Student Scholarship Organizations

Enacted 2008 • Launched 2008

Georgia provides dollar-for-dollar tax credits for donations to Student Scholarship Organizations (SSOs), nonprofits that provide private school scholarships. Individuals may claim up to $1,000, and married couples filing jointly may claim up to... Read More

Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program

Enacted 2007 • Launched 2007

The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program allows any student with a disability whose parents are unhappy with their assigned public school to receive a voucher to attend private school. Read More

Research

The Economic and Fiscal Costs of Failing to Reform K-12 Education in Georgia

12/15/2009

In recent decades, Georgia has prospered in an economy that increasingly valued education, despite having among the lowest rates of high school completion of any state in the nation. To do so Georgia has come to rely on the in-migration of well-educated... Read More

The Fiscal Impact of Tax-Credit Scholarships in Georgia

2/19/2008

This study seeks to inform the debate over a proposal in Georgia to give tax credits for contributions to organizations that provide scholarships to K-12 private schools. Such a program would extend to K-12 education the philosophy of choice that is... Read More

News

1/21/2013	Atlanta Journal Constitution \| National School Choice Week: 49 Million Students Still Without Options
6/24/2012	Forster \| Should More College Financial Aid Be Based on Need, Not Merit?
4/4/2012	Hiner \| To Stem Cheating, Empower Parents
1/23/2012	Enlow \| Robert Enlow on the Martha Zoller Show
11/3/2011	Atlanta Journal-Constitution \| Georgia Can Return to Leading Role in Giving Students Choices
8/3/2011	EducationNext \| No Matter How You Ask the Question
8/2/2011	AP \| School Voucher Bills Flood GOP-led Statehouses
7/30/2011	Enlow \| Friedman's Dream Unleashed
7/28/2011	Enlow \| Is 2011 Milton Friedman's Year of School Choice?
7/25/2011	Enlow \| Georgia Should Seize the Chance to Change the Tenure System and Fire Bad Teachers
7/6/2011	Reason - Hit & Run \| More Children Escape from Public Schools!
7/5/2011	Hiner \| Pro & Con: Has Georgia’s Tuition Tax Credit Program Been Successful?
7/5/2011	Wall Street Journal \| The Year of School Choice
5/25/2011	Atlanta Journal-Constitution \| Charter Ruling Casts Cloud Over Revamp
5/5/2011	Forster \| Indiana Triple Play Delivers the Win
4/29/2011	Enlow \| School Choice: Alive and Well
2/28/2011	Why 2011 will be a Year of Growth for School Choice
1/26/2011	Hiner \| Parents would feel more hopeful if given the option of school choice.
1/25/2011	Enlow \| Robert Enlow on Martha Zoller
12/22/2010	Hiner \| Leslie Hiner on the Martha Zoller Show
12/13/2010	Enlow \| Coverdell legacy at risk in tax deal
4/14/2010	Atlanta Journal Constitution \| Study finds teacher pension funding gap, but state disagrees
2/23/2010	Cheating scandal prompts parents to want more educational options
2/17/2010	Rally to unite public, private groups that back vouchers
2/15/2010	Enlow \| Robert Enlow on Martha Zoller
12/15/2009	Study Says Georgia Dropouts Cost Almost $5 Billion; Natives Twice as Likely to Drop Out as Transplants
7/8/2009	School Choice Gains Ground
2/2/2009	Senator's school voucher bill has foes in local education
12/24/2008	School Choice in Georgia
6/6/2008	School choice turns corner with tax credits
5/30/2008	Voucher reaction mixed
5/21/2008	Georgia Enacts Comprehensive School Choice Law
5/18/2008	Kids now have chances for better education
5/14/2008	Georgia Enacts School Choice for All Students
3/26/2008	School choice bills face political squabble
3/19/2008	Tax credits for private-school grants a win-win
3/4/2008	Tax-credit scholarships could save Georgia schools millions
3/4/2008	Tax credits could aid companies, public schools
2/25/2008	A Better Way to Leverage Increased Education Spending
2/20/2008	School choice backers tout benefits of scholarships
2/19/2008	Scholarships Would Save Public Schools Money
2/17/2008	Georgia: to the head of the class?
2/12/2008	School choice report
4/23/2007	Special needs voucher bill sent to Georgia governor