State Senator Greg Dolezal (R-Cumming), who sponsored Senate Bill 233, said that the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act puts parents in charge regarding school choice options for their children. The bill was signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp on Tuesday.
Dolezal told The Georgia Star News on Friday, “The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act will ensure that parents and children are at the center of the education decisions in Georgia. I am excited to empower parents to make decisions on education opportunities for their children that best fit their needs. We have seen a school choice wave sweeping the County, and we can add Georgia to the list of states where parents are in the drivers seat of control.”
The state senator said of the signage on Thursday, “[We] are affirming a commitment to the future of our state’s students and families. By establishing the Georgia Education Savings Authority and funding promise scholarship accounts, we give parents the choice of education and open a door for educational success for students of all backgrounds. I am deeply grateful for the collaborative effort that has brought us to this moment, and I extend my sincere appreciation to all those who have worked tirelessly to champion this cause.”
According to a press release from Governor Brian Kemp’s Office on Tuesday, Senate Bill 233 “creates a promise scholarship of $6,500 for each participating student that can be used towards qualified education expenses including tuition, fees, textbooks, and tutoring among others.”
To qualify for the scholarship, students must “meet requirements including having been enrolled in a public school for two consecutive enrollment counts (unless they would be entering kindergarten) ” and be “zoned for a school in the lowest 25 percent of all public schools….” Priority candidates for the scholarship are students who are “economically disadvantaged” or “were previous participants” in the program.
“There is nothing more important to the continued success of our state than safeguarding and strengthening the lives, education and future of our students and that can only be accomplished by ensuring Georgia students have access to as many opportunities and choices as possible that will set them up for success,” Governor Kemp said.
Applauding the bill as a first step, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones commented, “SB 233 is a great step in the right direction, however, there is still more work to be done to give parents the choice and resources that can meet their child’s unique educational needs.”
In reaction to the new legislation, Democrat House candidate for Georgia’s 56th District, Bryce Berry, who is running against incumbent Representative Mesha Mainor (R-Atlanta), commented on an X post by Kemp featuring a photo of the signing with the Governor in the company of other legislators and state and local leaders.
Berry said on X, “A good picture of who vouchers will help. If you’re mad as hell about my opponent and her far right friends defunding our public schools, then join me and let’s elect the first Public School Teacher to our State Legislature.”
However, in a previous LinkedIn post in March, Representative Mainor celebrated the measure. “As someone who grew up in an underserved community with failing schools, I know firsthand the importance of educational freedom. Today, parents are going to jail in dire attempts to enroll their child in a school that is better for them. The Georgia Promise Scholarship is a step in the right direction to address this issue.”
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Debra McClure is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Follow Debra on X / Twitter.
Photo “Greg Dolezal” by State Senator Greg Dolezal. Background Photo “Classroom” by MChe Lee.
