The Georgia Senate Education Committee passed a bill Tuesday to create educational savings accounts for students statewide, according to state legislators.
The “Georgia Educational Freedom Act” passed the committee by a 6-4 margin. It would allow families to take their child’s educational dollars to private schools and tutoring programs. Parents could also spend the money on instructional materials, educational therapies, and online learning programs for their children.
BREAKING: Georgia Senate Education Committee just passed a bill to fund students instead of systems.
— Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey) March 8, 2022
The “promise scholarship account” would provide students with $6,000 per school year to spend on educational programs and materials, according to the legislation. The program is unique in that there is no maximum income threshold for eligible students. (RELATED: The Best States For School Choice Programs)
Georgia currently offers a similar educational savings account program to students with special needs, according to EdChoice. The state also offers tax credits to corporate and individual donors who support student scholarship organizations, though the average scholarship is approximately $2,000 less than the allotted amount under the Georgia Educational Freedom Act.
School choice advocate Corey DeAngelis told the Daily Caller that this bill “would make Georgia a national leader on school choice.”
“All families, regardless of income, would be able to take their children’s taxpayer-funded education dollars to the education providers of their choosing,” DeAngelis said. “School choice is the only way to truly secure parental rights in education. It’s time to fund students directly and empower all families to choose the education providers that best meet their needs.”
DeAngelis also noted that Democratic State Sen. Sonya Halpern, who voted against the bill, admitted on video that she has “kids in private school.”