Thirtieth legislative day - Tuesday, March 10, 2026
House passes 2026-2027 budget
The Georgia House of Representatives today passed its version of the fiscal year budget that begins July 1, 2026. Their budget includes more than $60 million for various literacy education programs including more than $30 million to place literacy coaches in each public elementary school in the state. The House budget cuts roughly in half the amount of funding that Gov. Brian Kemp had requested for the private school voucher program. No funding is provided for the student teacher compensation bill.
Committee take up education bills
The Senate Children and Families Committee heard and passed HB 1123, which would require public schools that offer after-school programs and have Georgia Pre-K programs offer those Pre-K students spaces in after-school programs.
The Senate Retirement Committee considered but did not vote HB 372, legislation that would extend a program that allows retired teachers to return to the classroom - after one year in retirement but only in certain hard-to-fill subject areas. This bill would extend the program that is scheduled to expire this year and shifts the identification of those hard-to-fill areas to local school districts and away from Georgia Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs).
At 2 o'clock, the Senate Committee on Education and Youth met with two House-passed bills on its agenda:
HB 1107, "The Excellent Teacher Preparation Act," concerns Education Preparation Programs (EPPs) passed out of the Senate Education and Youth Committee this afternoon. The bill would require the state Board of Education, the state Department of Education, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and the Office of Student Achievement develop performance measures that evaluate the performance of each EPP. Included in the list of measures of EPP programs is information about graduates' student performance data for the first three years after EPP completion; and
HB 1164, to improve transparency and fiscal soundness of school systems, would require the State Board of Education to appoint an audit committee and would revise provisions for financial audits of local school systems. The bill is offered by Rep. Will Wade, R-Dawsonville.
A previously scheduled meeting of the House Retirement Committee was postponed until Wednesday at 1 pm.
House Education subcommittee meet tomorrow
Several bills will be considered by the two subcommittee of the House Education Committee:
SB 171 would require the State Board of Education to develop an advanced mathematics pathway in grades 3-8;
SB 369 concerning dropout recovery charter schools and the reporting of academic progress by school;
SB 472 relates to the suspension and removal of local school board members upon potential loss of accreditation and in districts at financial risks; and
HR 1582 to create the the House Study Committee on Veteran Teacher Compensation. Veteran teachers appear to be those with more than 20 years of experience. The study committee would examine expanding the teacher state salary schedule beyond 20 years.
Another State Rep. resigns
A third state representative, Dexter Sharper, D-Valdosta, has resigned his seat after being charged with COVID unemployment fraud.
The next Legislative Alert will be Thursday, March 12
