ATLANTA — A new interpretation of a law in Georgia has opened the door for hundreds of thousands of students to potentially receive $6,500 vouchers. These funds can be utilized for private school tuition or home-schooling costs, exceeding earlier expectations set by many legislators.
Under the current regulations, students attending the lowest-performing 25% of schools in Georgia’s academic rating system qualify to apply for these vouchers. However, the Georgia Education Savings Authority, which oversees the program, has broadened eligibility criteria. According to their guidelines, any student residing in the designated attendance zones of these underperforming schools is now eligible, regardless of whether they actually attend those schools. For instance, if a middle school is identified as low-performing, elementary and high school students living within that zone can also submit applications.
“This significant change means that a lot more students will now qualify,” remarked Rep. Danny Mathis, a Republican from Cochran, who opposed the law since he believes it fails to address issues plaguing public schools. Currently, all students in four out of five counties he represents, located south of Macon, will have the opportunity to apply.
The law set a funding limit of 1% of the overall public school funding formula, amounting to $144 million. This allocation could potentially cover over 22,000 vouchers if state lawmakers choose to allocate that amount during the 2025 budget review. However, Georgia’s public school enrollment stands at around 1.75 million students, and an analysis indicates that more than 400,000 students may now have eligibility for the vouchers.
This expansive eligibility could lead to applications vastly surpassing the funding limit, generating pressure on legislators to increase it. Critics suggest that the intent behind such developments is pushing toward universal voucher access.
This situation reflects a growing trend across the United States, where voucher programs are expanding rapidly. Many advocates are calling for universal access, proposing that all students should qualify for funding without regard to school performance or family income. States like Arizona, Florida, Iowa, and Ohio have already implemented such universal voucher systems, leading to higher-than-anticipated applications and soaring program costs.
It’s important to note that Georgia’s program has limitations. Only children who reside in attendance zones of qualifying schools, have been enrolled for at least two semesters, or are incoming kindergartners can apply. If the number of applications surpasses the available vouchers, priority will be given to families with incomes below four times the federal poverty level, which is roughly $100,000 for a three-member household. In case there are still too many applicants, a random statewide lottery will determine the recipients.
The Georgia Education Savings Authority plans to start accepting applications early next year. Families can use the voucher funds for various educational expenses including private school tuition, textbooks, transportation, home-schooling materials, therapy, tutoring, or even dual enrollment in college courses for high school students.
Spokesperson Hayley Corbitt for the Georgia Education Savings Authority emphasized that the law’s language specifies eligibility for students residing in the attendance zones of identified public schools. House Republican leaders, like Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones from Milton, are advocating to tighten the authority’s interpretation, stating that this broad eligibility wasn’t part of her original advocacy.
Jones remarked, “That wasn’t my understanding,” referring to the unexpected extensive qualifications. The House passed the program narrowly last spring, with key support from seven rural Republicans and a Democrat, under the influence of Gov. Brian Kemp and House Speaker Jon Burns.
Rep. Chris Erwin, a Republican and the chair of the House Education Committee, indicated that he would seek to overturn the rule if it remains unchanged. “The scholarships are intended only for children from specific eligible schools, not for every student in the district,” Erwin mentioned via text, drawing from his 11 years of experience as superintendent.
Uncertainty remains regarding Senate Republicans’ stance on the issue. Sen. Greg Dolezal, who sponsored the bill, deferred inquiries relating to the rule interpretation to Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who reiterated the need for enhanced educational freedoms but did not address specific implementation issues.
The list of low-performing schools itself is subject to change. The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, responsible for compiling the list, has previously retracted it twice, responding to concerns from superintendents about its accuracy. Joy Hawkins, the office director, confirmed that a revised list is expected to be released soon.
An analysis showed that if changes remain, every student in at least 67 of Georgia’s 180 public school districts could qualify, including districts in Augusta and Macon. In smaller districts with only one middle or high school, the eligibility can extend to all students if just one institution is categorized as low-performing. As a case in point, all 4,500 students within Baldwin County could be eligible due to Oak Hill Middle School’s low-performance designation, impacting districts that serve areas like Atlanta and its neighboring counties.
