FIRST DAY OF SESSION SEES
NEW EDUCATION BILLS INTRODUCED
The beginning of the legislative session yesterday saw a number of educated-related bills introduced for the session, including:
SB 1, by Sen. Greg Dolezal of Forsyth County, which would "require transgender girls and women competing in sports at public middle schools, high schools, and college student-athletes to play on teams, dress, shower, and use restrooms according to the gender on their birth certificate." He calls the bill the "Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act." The bill has 25 co-sponsors.
Gov. Brian Kemp announced this morning at the annual Georgia Chamber of Commerce's Eggs & Issues Breakfast that his mid-year, adjusted 2024-2025 budget, will include an additional $50 million for school safety - for a total of about $69,000 per school - for crisis counseling training for existing school staff and to allocate nearly $900,000 to improve the ratio of school psychologists. Pretty modest amount.
Kemp has also proposed fully funding the QBE (Quality Basic Act) funding for 2025-2026 and an additional $10.3 million in pupil transportation for buses and operations.
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the National Association of School Psychologist recommends one psychologists per every 500 students. "In Georgia, the ratio is one psycholoist per 2,077 students, which is among the worst ratios in the country. Not much in the contast of a $1 billion budget," according to the JAC.
Kemp was joined by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and House Speaker Jon Burns, who both endorsed the idea that schools would require schools to have panic buttons for emergency situations.
Sen. Billy Hickman, R-Statesboro, has been named the new chair of the Senate Education and Youth Committee, replacing former chair Sen. Clint Dixon of Gwinnett County.
New Bills
HB 20 requires the Department of Education to adopt rules to require all certified public school personnel to receive annual training in depression and suicide awareness and prevention.
HB 23 has been filed by Rep. Sandra Scott to require schools to provide progress reports to parents or legal guardians of students in an early intervention program and to require the Department of Education to collaborate with the Professional Standards Commission to improve and update professional development opportunities for teachers that specifically relate to supporting limited-English-proficient students.
HB 27 has been introduced to provide for grants by the State Board of Education to support students living in poverty, also by Rep. Scott.
Sen. Dolezal has also filed SB 4, to provide for requirements for the model code of ethics for local boards of education to be promulgated by the State Board of Education.
