Charter School Bill Passes State House

The Georgia House of Representatives passed House Resolution 1162 early this afternoon.The resolution passed with a 123 to 48 vote, according to a press release from the Georgia Chamber of Commerce today. According to the first reader summary, the resolution proposes

“an amendment to the Constitution of Georgia so as to clarify the authority of the state to establish state-wide education policy; to restate the authority of the General Assembly to create special schools; to delineate types of schools that the General Assembly may authorize and clarify funding authority; to provide for the submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; and for other purposes.”

Further, the amendment will grant the state the authority to define special schools, which includes defining them as charter schools.

Commenting on the passage of the resolution, Georgia Chamber of Commerce President Chris Clark said today,

“Providing students the skills they need to be successful members of the workforce starts in the earliest grades, which is why ensuring excellence in Georgia’s K through 12 school systems is so important. Allowing the creation of public charter schools is one proven way to achieve this goal – today these schools are operating at a higher standard through increased accountability and local control. We are pleased that the House agreed to let Georgians weigh in on this issue in November and hope that the Senate will soon do the same.”

FYN report more details as they become available.