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"$6,500 School Vouchers Coming to Georgia as Bill Gets Final Passage and Heads to Governor
Georgia senators are giving final approval to $6,500 vouchers funding for private school tuition and home schooling, sending the measure to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature
By Associated Press
|
March 20, 2024, at 5:49 p.m.
State Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, applauds following the passage of senate bill 233, which would give families $6,500 vouchers funding for private school tuition and home schooling, Wednesday, March 20, 2024, in the Senate at the Capitol in Atlanta. The bill now moves to Gov. Brian Kemp forGeorgia senators gave final approval Wednesday to the bill, sending the measure to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature. (Matthew Pearson/WABE via AP)
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia senators gave final approval Wednesday to a plan to create a $6,500 voucher funding for private school tuition and home schooling, sending the measure to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature.
Senators voted 33-21 along party lines to approve changes that the House made last week to Senate Bill 233. House approval had long eluded the state's school choice advocates.
Whereas last year a defeat of the bill in the House left Democratic opponents jubilant, supporters broke into applause and embraced as the Senate approved the measure, marking the end of a multiyear saga to create a third Georgia program funding nonpublic education options.
“When I cheer today, I’m going to be cheering because more parents and more families will have more opportunities," said state Sen. Greg Dolezal, a Republican from Cumming who sponsored the bill.
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp backs the voucher plan, including devoting a substantial portion of his State of the State speech to advocating for it.
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“I firmly believe we can take an all-of-the-above approach to education options,” Kemp said in a statement Wednesday.
Republican House Speaker Jon Burns of Newington began to forcefully advocate for the bill, persuading seven Republicans and a Democrat who opposed the measure last year to support it, providing the narrow margin of victory in the House.
The bill would provide $6,500 education savings accounts to students attending public schools that rank in Georgia’s bottom 25% for academic achievement. That money could be spent on private school tuition, home schooling supplies, therapy, tutoring or even early college courses for high school students.
It differs from last year’s failed measure, having been combined with a number of other education initiatives. But opponents argued that it would subtract resources from public schools, with school districts losing state aid as children depart, even as other students will remain behind.
“This bill is a thinly veiled effort to segregate and discriminate under the guise of choice," said Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes, a Democrat from Duluth. "Private institutions free to pick their students will inevitably leave behind those who perhaps need the most support -– our special needs students, our struggling learners.”
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The new program would be limited to spending 1% of the $14.1 billion that Georgia spends on its school funding formula, or $141 million. Lawmakers would appropriate money for the voucher separately, and not take it directly out of the formula. That could provide more than 21,000 scholarships. Students who could accept them are supposed to have attended an eligible public school for at least two consecutive semesters, or be about to enter kindergarten at an eligible public school.
Students from households with incomes of less than four times the federal poverty level would be prioritized for the scholarships. Four times the federal poverty level is about $100,000 for a family of three.
Parents would have to provide proof of allowed expenditures to a new Georgia Education Savings Authority to claim the money. All of a family’s eligible children could qualify for the program
Democrats argue the money isn’t enough to pay tuition at most private schools, and that private schools aren’t available in some rural areas. They also say private schools don’t have to accept all applicants and could discriminate against people with differing social and religious views
“The reality is that a $6,500 voucher here doesn’t go nearly far enough to afford any kind of quality education," said Sen. Elena Parent, an Atlanta Democrat.
Republicans, though, say that amount could make a difference for many families.
“Don’t tell these parents that this $6,500 bridge can’t change the lives of their kids, because it can," Dolezal said.
Democrats also question whether the voucher will violate the Georgia Constitution's ban on giving money to religious institutions. “It appears to me to be a little unconstitutional," said Sen. Derek Mallow of Savannah.
The Georgia effort is part of a nationwide GOP wave favoring education savings accounts following the COVID-19 pandemic and fights over what children should learn in public schools.
Other parts of the revamped bill include writing current teacher pay raises into Georgia’s K-12 school funding formula, letting public school prekindergarten programs qualify for state aid to construct and furnish buildings, letting students enroll in other public school districts that will accept them and increasing tax credits for donations to public schools.
The language on teacher raises is partly symbolic — lawmakers have been increasing pay using budget bills in recent years.
Georgia already gives vouchers for special education students in private schools and $120 million a year in income tax credits for donors to private school scholarship funds.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed."
learn about this article and answer the ibdp economics internal assessment outline template here
"
IBDP Economics
Internal Assessment
Commentary -- Plan
Commentary ______ Student: ____________________
Comments
(For teacher)
Section of the Course Microeconomics / Macroeconomics /
Global Economics
News Article (Headlines)
Please attach a PDF of the article
Source
(Which newspaper?)
Publication date
Economic theories related to the article
Key Concept
Identify the phenomenon
(Key points) Introduction
What is the issue in the article that you want to explain? What is the goal of your commentary? (e.g. What economic problem? What policy?)
Key Concepts
What is the key concept that you want to link to?
What do you want to discuss about the key concept?
Application and Analysis Explaining the economic issue
What diagram?
What theories?
Link to the key concept?
Key points for explanation
Explaining impacts of the policy
What policy?
What changes in the diagram?
Impacts in the market?
Link to the key concept?
Evaluation Evaluation of the policy
- Advantages (positive side-effect)
- Disadvantages (negative side-effect)
- Effective (limitations)?
- Different stakeholders
- Long run VS Short run
"
ASSISTANT
**IBDP Economics Internal Assessment Commentary -- Plan**
---
**Commentary**: ____1____
**Student**: ____________________
---
**Section of the Course**: Microeconomics
**News Article (Headlines)**: "$6,500 School Vouchers Coming to Georgia as Bill Gets Final Passage and Heads to Governor"
**Source**: Associated Press via U.S. News & World Report
**Publication date**: March 20, 2024
**Economic theories related to the article**:
- **Market Structures**: The distinction between public and private education markets.
- **Government Intervention**: Education vouchers as an example of government intervention in the market.
- **Externalities and Public Goods**: The impact of education quality on societal welfare.
- **Income Distribution**: How the voucher program targets lower-income families.
**Key Concept**: Government policies and market outcomes
**Identify the phenomenon**
**Introduction**:
**What is the issue in the article that you want to explain? What is the goal of your commentary?**
The article discusses the implementation of a $6,500 school voucher program in Georgia, designed to provide funding for private school tuition and homeschooling. The goal of the commentary is to examine the economic implications of this policy, including its effects on public and private education markets, and its broader societal impacts.
---
**Key Concepts**
**What is the key concept that you want to link to?**
Government intervention in education
**What do you want to discuss about the key concept?**
- The rationale behind implementing a voucher system.
- The potential economic outcomes of such a policy, including efficiency and equity considerations.
- The impact of vouchers on public vs. private school quality and resource allocation.
---
**Application and Analysis**
**Explaining the economic issue**
**What diagram?**
- Supply and Demand diagram for private and public schooling to illustrate changes in enrollment and resource allocation.
- A budget constraint graph to show the effects on household choices.
**What theories?**
- Market equilibrium and shifts in supply and demand.
- The theory of public goods and externalities.
- Income redistribution and welfare analysis.
**Link to the key concept?**
- Government intervention: Vouchers as a method to increase consumer choice and competition in the education market.
- Examining how vouchers might improve or worsen educational outcomes and access.
---
**Key points for explanation**
1. **Supply and Demand for Education**: How vouchers will impact the equilibrium in the market for private and public schools.
2. **Household Decision-Making**: How different income groups will respond to the availability of vouchers.
3. **Resource Allocation**: The budgetary impacts on public schools as a result of shifting enrollments.
---
**Explaining impacts of the policy**
**What policy?**
The implementation of a $6,500 education voucher program.
**What changes in the diagram?**
- **Shift in Demand**: An increase in demand for private schooling as vouchers make these more affordable.
- **Resource Allocation**: Changes in public school funding as some students shift to private schools.
**Impacts in the market?**
- Increased competition among schools may lead to potential improvements in quality.
- Possible resource strain on public schools due to reduced enrollment and funding.
**Link to the key concept?**
- The role of government in providing equitable access to quality education.
- Efficiency gains/losses through market responses to vouchers.
---
**Evaluation**
**Evaluation of the policy:**
**Advantages (positive side-effect)**
- Increased parental choice and potential for improved educational outcomes due to competition.
- Might incentivize public schools to improve performance to retain students.
**Disadvantages (negative side-effect)**
- Risk of worsening inequality if vouchers are not sufficient to cover private school costs fully, hence benefiting wealthier families disproportionately.
- Possible negative impact on public school quality and resources.
**Effective (limitations)?**
- Effectiveness depends on the amount of the voucher relative to actual private school tuition fees.
- Geographic limitations: rural areas may lack private schooling options.
**Different stakeholders**
- **Parents and students**: Greater choice but potential variability in quality.
- **Public schools**: Risk of losing funding and resources.
- **Private schools**: Potential gain in enrollment and revenue but oversight and quality control issues may arise.
- **Government and taxpayers**: Considerations around the efficient use of public funds.
**Long run VS Short run**
- **Short run**: Immediate shifts in enrollment patterns and funding changes.
- **Long run**: Potential structural changes in the education system, with dynamic impacts depending on how schools and households adapt over time.
---
This outline provides a structured approach to discussing the economic implications of the $6,500 voucher program in Georgia.