PRIA Logo™
GeorgiaSB 822025-2026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

"Local Charter School Authorization and Support Act of 2025"; enact

Sponsored By: Jason Anavitarte (Republican), Matt Brass (Republican), Clint Dixon (Republican), Steve Gooch (Republican), Bo Hatchett (Republican), Chuck Payne (Republican), Shawn Still (Republican)

Signed by Governor

EducationEducation and YouthGeneral Bill

Your PRIA Score

Score Hidden

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to start

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

6 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

Cash grants for new local charters

The State Board sets up a program to reward local boards that approve new local charter schools. The Department of Education runs the program, and the Charter Compliance Office helps districts follow the rules. For each new local charter approved after June 30, 2025, the local board gets $250,000 by August 1 in each of the next three years, as long as the school stays authorized by that board. Lawmakers must fund the program; if funding is short, payments are cut equally for all eligible boards. Grants are only for approvals of brand-new local charters, not renewals. Boards can use the money to hire staff, monitor compliance, and train for charter oversight. The program ends July 1, 2035 unless extended.

Stronger state support and charter reports

The Charter Compliance Office takes on more duties to support quality authorizing. It prepares guidelines, processes petitions, runs charter grants, hires independent evaluators, and compiles data on performance and incentive results. It publishes criteria, best practices, public hearing steps, and a standard review rubric on the education department’s website, and gives ongoing technical help to districts. The state board must also send a yearly charter program report to legislative leaders and budget offices by December 31.

Penalties for repeated charter denials

A district that often denies single-school local petitions that later win state approval can lose the right to renew its charter system status or strategic waivers. Districts with 10,000–60,000 students are ineligible after two such denials in the same contract term. Larger districts are ineligible after three. The ban can last up to three years after the contract ends or until the state board sees a strong commitment to better performance and innovation. Districts with contracts active on January 1, 2025 that end by July 1, 2025 are exempt until their next contract term begins. These denial-related rules end July 1, 2035 unless renewed.

Faster charter decisions and clear denials

Local boards must vote to approve or deny a charter petition within 90 days. The petitioner can ask for more time. If denied, the board must send a written denial within 20 business days that lists exact reasons and legal deficiencies. The denial must also describe local school choice options and how nearby schools perform. The Charter Compliance Office must post the denial online within three days. Petitioners can fix issues and submit a revised petition.

Mediation and review after local denials

When the State Charter Schools Commission approves a single-school state petition after a local board denied the matching local petition, the Charter Compliance Office must notify the local board. The state board and the Office may review the local denial and the Commission’s rationale and can offer guidance or recommend authorizer training. The state board can also offer mediation between the petitioner and the local board to help resolve issues.

Parent and teacher votes for conversions

Local boards cannot act on a school’s conversion charter petition until key groups vote by secret ballot. A majority of faculty and instructional staff must approve, and a majority of parents or guardians present at a public meeting (with two weeks’ notice) must approve. High school clusters can instead use approval by a majority of school councils plus a secret ballot with at least 60% combined support from faculty, staff, and parents present. System charter schools seeking conversion are exempt.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

  • Jason Anavitarte

    Republican • Senate

  • Matt Brass

    Republican • Senate

  • Clint Dixon

    Republican • Senate

  • Steve Gooch

    Republican • Senate

  • Bo Hatchett

    Republican • Senate

  • Chuck Payne

    Republican • Senate

  • Shawn Still

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Scott Hilton

    Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 195 • No: 81

Senate vote • 4/4/2025

AGREE TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE

Yes: 44 • No: 10

House vote • 3/31/2025

PASSAGE

Yes: 107 • No: 62

Senate vote • 3/6/2025

PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE

Yes: 44 • No: 9

Actions Timeline

  1. Senate Date Signed by Governor

    4/28/2025Senate

  2. Act 15

    4/28/2025

  3. Effective Date

    4/28/2025

  4. Senate Sent to Governor

    4/10/2025Senate

  5. Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub

    4/4/2025Senate

  6. House Third Readers

    3/31/2025House

  7. House Passed/Adopted By Substitute

    3/31/2025House

  8. House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

    3/21/2025House

  9. House Second Readers

    3/11/2025House

  10. House First Readers

    3/10/2025House

  11. Senate Third Read

    3/6/2025Senate

  12. Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute

    3/6/2025Senate

  13. Senate Read Second Time

    3/4/2025Senate

  14. Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

    3/3/2025Senate

  15. Senate Read and Referred

    2/4/2025Senate

  16. Senate Hopper

    2/3/2025Senate

Bill Text

  • SB 82/AP* (v9)

    PDF

Related Bills

Back to State Legislation