Bill Analysis Budget and Taxes K-12 Education Stephen Owens Fact Sheet: Voucher Dollars Take from the Many to Benefit the Few March 22, 2023 / March 24, 2023 by Stephen Owens Using data from the state’s expenses for the existing tax credit voucher and comparing to population data, it’s clear that vouchers drain money from rural Georgia to benefit a few counties. Fulton County, for example, only has 10 percent of the state’s population, but used over 20 percent of the total tax credit […] Read more » education budget k-12 education k12 Private School Scholarships private schools public-schools school vouchers
Bill Analysis Budget and Taxes K-12 Education Stephen Owens Bill Analysis: SB 233 March 14, 2023 / March 14, 2023 by Stephen Owens | 3 Comments on Bill Analysis: SB 233 Key Takeaways Senate Bill 233 is conservatively projected to cost an additional $150 million upon full implementation This voucher would divert public funds from schools serving majority Black students and majority living in poverty State lawmakers concerned about Georgia’s children should reject SB 233 and consider legislation like SB 284 or HB 668 which provide […] Read more » education budget k-12 education k12 Private School Scholarships private schools public-schools school vouchers
Blog K-12 Education Learning the Basics People Powered Prosperity Stephen Owens Toolkits Resources on School Vouchers January 11, 2021 / February 11, 2022 by Stephen Owens | 1 Comment on Resources on School Vouchers Current Status: In the 2022 Legislative Session, lawmakers may consider House Bill 60 and House Bill 142, two bills that would enact or expand voucher programs to take hundreds of millions of dollars of state money away from public schools and send them to private schools. House Bill 60 and House Bill 142 did not […] Read more » education-savings-accounts ESA private schools public-schools vouchers
Blog Higher Education Inclusive Economy for Immigrants Jennifer Lee Extending In-State Tuition to “Dreamers” Creates Opportunity for Georgia April 23, 2019 / May 26, 2020 by Jennifer Lee Marisol Estrada decided to attend Armstrong State, now part of Georgia Southern University, because it was in her hometown of Savannah and she could save on living expenses. She learned that tuition didn’t increase after 15 credit hours, so she enrolled in at least 18 credit hours each semester. She worked multiple jobs on campus, […] Read more » daca Dreamers Education Higher Education HOPE Scholarship immigration private schools public university
Blog Budget and Taxes Higher Education Jennifer Owens K-12 Education Georgia Legislative Session Update: Crossover Day Recap March 8, 2019 / May 26, 2020 by Jennifer Owens This week lawmakers hit a legislative session milestone. Thursday, March 7 marked Crossover Day, the day a bill originating in one chamber must pass to the other to have a chance at becoming law during the remainder of the legislative session. Several bills crossed over on or before the deadline and now careen toward the […] Read more » Budget & Taxes Crossover Day Education Georgia General Assembly Higher Education HOPE Scholarship K-12 Legislature private schools State Taxes
Claire Suggs K-12 Education Reports Shifting Public Funds to Private Schools: High Costs, Poor Track Record April 26, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by Claire Suggs Georgia lawmakers created multiple pathways to shift public funds to private schools in recent years. These schemes risk reducing money available to invest in public schools and critical state services including early learning, higher education, and community health. Little is known about the academic outcomes of Georgia students participating in these programs or the private […] Read more » 529 plans Claire Suggs Education K-12 private schools public-schools school vouchers student scholarship organizations tax credit
Blog Budget and Taxes Higher Education John McCosh K-12 Education Legislative Watch Day 39: State Budget, Education Vouchers and More March 27, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by John McCosh | 1 Comment on Legislative Watch Day 39: State Budget, Education Vouchers and More As the 2018 General Assembly nears the closing gavel, Georgia lawmakers are trying to find a path to use public dollars to boost private schools, provide need-based aid for college students and impose rules that target immigrants in counterproductive ways. They’re also putting the finishing touches on Georgia’s spending plan for the upcoming 2019 budget […] Read more » Budget & Taxes Financial Aid HB 217 HB 664 HB 713 Higher Education immigration K-12 Legislature private schools SB 405 SB 452 tax breaks
Blog Claire Suggs K-12 Education Lawmakers Push to Shift Public Money to Private Schools March 5, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by Claire Suggs Georgia lawmakers seem determined to subsidize private schools with public dollars. Witness several bills in the 2018 General Assembly to create or expand schemes to shift public dollars to private schools. It’s better to provide public schools the resources needed to ensure all students reach the state’s ambitious learning goals before lawmakers consider these bills. […] Read more » Education Education Savings Account HB 217 HB 482 HB 664 K-12 private schools
Blog Budget and Taxes Higher Education John McCosh K-12 Education Crossover Day Delivers Mixed Bag for Education, Tax Policy March 1, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by John McCosh Legislation to allow the use of state money for private schools stalled on Crossover Day 2018, while a proposal to give students more time to qualify as HOPE scholars also now faces a more convoluted path to passage. Meanwhile, a risky tax cut package designed to reduce Georgia revenues by $1.4 billion once fully phased […] Read more » Budget & Taxes Crossover Day Education Georgia General Assembly HB 482 HB 918 HB 928 Higher Education HOPE Scholarship K-12 Legislature private schools State Taxes
Claire Suggs K-12 Education Reports Private School Savings Accounts Lack Oversight, Could Prove Costly February 22, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by Claire Suggs Bill Analysis: House Bill 482 (LC 33 7253S) Georgia lawmakers are considering a plan to allow parents to take state money to pay for private schools and educational services. House Bill 482 creates an individual Education Savings Account, or ESA, program. The program would allow parents to redirect state money to pay for tuition and […] Read more » Claire Suggs Education Education Savings Account ESA HB 482 K-12 private schools
