Title 20 — Education

A local unit of administration shall be authorized to contract for school psychology services with an individual certified by the Professional Standards Commission in school psychology. The certified individual shall be authorized to practice school psychology for the local unit of…

(a) The Department of Education shall develop, and the State Board of Education shall approve, state models and industry required content standards, after consultation with industries in Georgia and in collaboration with the Technical College System of Georgia and the University …

Sec. Contracts for school psychology services. Requirements for receiving special education and related services of students enrolled in home study programs. Focused programs of study. Coordination between high schools and postsecondary institutions to minimize the need for remed…

(a) The high school general education program is declared to be the base program against which the cost of all other instructional programs shall be compared. The amount of funds needed by each full-time equivalent student in the base program, in order that such program can be su…

(a) The State Board of Education shall calculate the amount of local five mill share funds that each local school system shall be required to spend each fiscal year to participate in the Quality Basic Education Program as follows: (1) Unless the combined local five mill share total …

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) “Assessed valuation” is defined as 40 percent of the equalized adjusted property tax digest reduced by the amount calculated pursuant to subsection (g) of Code Section 20-2-164. (2) “Assessed valuation per weighted full-time equivale…

In addition to the amounts earned by a charter system or a local charter school pursuant to subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-161, a charter system or a local charter school shall earn 3.785 percent of the base amount established pursuant to subsection (a) of Code Section 20-2-…

(a) The State Board of Education shall calculate the total amount of state funds to be allotted to a local school system by: (1) Adding the amount calculated for the local school system for grants authorized under the provisions of this article which do not expressly involve a lo…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) “Out-of-system student” means a student who is enrolled in a local school system and receives virtual instruction from a virtual school within the local school system, but who resides in another local school system. (2) “Virtual ins…

The Department of Education, on behalf of the state, may lease for periods up to four years any state-owned property in its control and held for its use to county school boards, city school boards, or other like agencies in the state having the power to operate and regulate any p…

If the State Board of Education has received the notification from any local school system or district described in Code Section 20-2-480 and if at any time the State Board of Education is notified by the sinking fund custodian, trustee, or paying agent for bonded indebtedness of s…

All program weights, when multiplied by the base amount, shall reflect sufficient funds to pay the beginning salary for at least one 327 20-2-185 media specialist for an appropriate base size school pursuant to Code Section 20-2-181 and to provide media center materials and equipm…

(a) The amount of funds needed by a local unit of administration to pay expenses of student transportation shall be calculated by the State Board of Education in accordance with a schedule of standard transportation costs to be incurred by local units of administration in the ope…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term “migrant student” means a child who is a student in a public school and who has, within 12 months prior to first becoming a student in such school, moved across state or school district lines with a migrant parent or guardian to enable th…

Subject to appropriations by the General Assembly, the State Board of Education shall provide grants to local school systems for the purpose of purchasing supplies for school health nurse programs, as required pursuant to Code Section 20-2-771.2. The grant funds shall be distribu…

The first State Board of Education appointed under this article shall hold office as follows: two for three years; four for five years; and four for seven years. All of such terms shall date from January 1, 1943. The Governor in making the appointments shall designate the holders o…

The State Board of Education is authorized to establish regional offices of the Department of Education, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly. Should the state board establish such regional offices of the Department of Education, their service areas shall be congruous…

As used in this article, the term: (1) “Administrator” means any person who administers a group self-insurance fund other than the interlocal risk management agency. (2) “Board of education” or “board” means a public board of education of any county or of any independent school s…

(a) A group of boards of education may execute an intergovernmental contract among themselves to form and become members of an interlocal risk management agency. After an interlocal risk management agency has been formed, any board of education may, subject to the bylaws and requ…

Each intergovernmental contract establishing an intergovernmental risk management agency shall provide for a board of trustees which shall govern the agency. Such board shall be authorized to administer the agency in accordance with the provisions of the intergovernmental contrac…

An interlocal risk management agency created pursuant to this article is not an insurance company or an insurer under Title 33, and the development and administration by such agency of one or more group self-insurance funds shall not constitute doing business as an insurer. Histo…

(a) No interlocal risk management agency shall establish a group self-insurance fund or funds until such agency has been issued a certificate of authority by the Commissioner as provided in this Code section and under such rules and regulations as the Commissioner may promulgate t…

(a) The Commissioner shall examine the application made under Code Section 20-2-2005 to determine whether the agency and any established fund will be able to comply with this article and applicable rules and regulations. If the Commissioner finds that the agency and any establishe…

Each fund formed pursuant to this article shall possess and thereafter maintain minimum surplus in an amount such as the Commissioner may reasonably establish or subsequently require for the protection of the members. The Commissioner may authorize a fund to maintain a deposit co…

The investable assets of a fund may be invested in securities or other investments permitted by the laws of this state for the investment of assets constituting the legal reserves of property and casualty insurance companies or in such other securities or investments as the Commi…

Each board of education shall be jointly and severally liable for all legal obligations of a fund which arise out of an event which occurred while such board was a member of such fund; provided, however, that a fund shall not assume a risk greater than an amount to be determined …

(a) If an agency contracts with an administrator, the agency and the administrator must enter into a written agreement which shall be subject to review and approval by the Commissioner in accordance with this Code section and which shall contain at least the following: (1) A cont…

(a) The Commissioner shall require each administrator to have and maintain a fidelity bond in an amount which the Commissioner deems appropriate but which is not less than $100,000.00. (b) Errors and omissions coverage or other appropriate liability insurance in an amount which is…

Interlocal risk management agencies and funds established by such agencies shall be exempt from state and local taxes and fees. 888 20-2-2013 ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUC. 20-2-2016 History. Code 1981, § 20-2-2013, enacted by Ga. L. 1986, p. 1172, § 1. 20-2-2014. Examination of fu…

The Commissioner shall have the authority to require and conduct periodic examinations to verify the solvency of funds in the same manner and under the same conditions as insurers are examined under Chapter 2 of Title 33. History. Code 1981, § 20-2-2014, enacted by Ga. L. 1986, p…

(a) If the assets of a fund are at any time insufficient to enable a fund to discharge its legal liabilities and other obligations and to maintain the reserves and surplus required of it under this article, the agency shall forthwith make up the deficiency or levy an assessment up…

The Commissioner shall have authority to promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the provisions of this article. 889 History. Code 1981, § 20-2-2016, enacted by Ga. L. 1986, p. 1172, § 1.

Any party which is aggrieved by any act, determination, order, or any other action of the Commissioner taken pursuant to this article may request a hearing before the Commissioner or otherwise proceed in accordance with Chapter 13 of Title 50, the “Georgia Administrative Procedur…

(a) An interlocal risk management agency shall maintain at all times an excess loss funding program acceptable to the Commissioner. An excess loss funding program may consist of excess insurance, selffunding from unobligated surplus of a fund, any combination of such excess insur…

Each fund established under this article shall have an annual audit of its books and accounts performed by a certified public accountant. Such audit shall be conducted in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A copy of such audit shall be made available to fund…

All teachers and other professional personnel who hold life certificates shall be entitled to carry forward that lifetime status if they become qualified by reason of additional training for a next higher level of certification in the same field. However, holders of life certificates …

The exercise by a board of education or school system of the authority provided in this article shall not constitute the provision of liability insurance protection under Article I, Section II, Paragraph IX of the Constitution of the State of Georgia. The participation by a board…

All renewable certificates granted by the Professional Standards Commission shall have a validity period of five years. History. Code 1981, § 20-2-203, enacted by Ga. L. 1985, p. 1657, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 1169, § 1; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1546, § 4. 349 20-2-204 20-2-204. Paraprofessiona…

(a) The General Assembly finds that excellent public school teachers deserve recognition for the extraordinary learning opportunity they provide to Georgia students. (b) The Professional Standards Commission is authorized and directed to establish the “Georgia Master Teacher Progr…

This article shall be known and may be cited as the “Charter Schools Act of 1998.” History. Code 1981, § 20-2-2060, enacted by Ga. L. 1998, p. 1080, § 3.

It is the intent of the General Assembly to increase student achievement through academic and organizational innovation by encouraging local school systems to utilize the flexibility of a performance based contract called a charter. History. Code 1981, § 20-2-2061, enacted by Ga. …

As used in this article, the term: (1) “Charter” means a performance based contract between a local board and a charter petitioner, the terms of which are approved by the local board and by the state board in the case of a local charter school; between the state board and a chart…

(a) The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules, regulations, policies, and procedures to govern the contents of a charter petition. (b) The State Board of Education shall establish rules, regulations, policies, and procedures to provide for the receipt of charter petitio…

(a) The state board shall establish a Charter Advisory Committee to review charter petitions for compliance with established standards of the state board, to make recommendations to the state board on charter policy, and to provide recommendations to the state board regarding 897…

(a) The state board shall be authorized to enter into a charter with a local board to establish a local school system as a charter system. (b) A local board seeking to create a charter system must submit a petition to the state board. Prior to submitting such petition, the local …

(a) A charter petitioner seeking to create a conversion charter school must submit a petition to the local board of the local school system in which the proposed charter school will be located. The local board must by a majority vote approve or deny a petition no later than 90 da…

(a) A local charter school shall enroll students in the following manner: (1)(A) A start-up charter school shall enroll any student who resides in the attendance zone specified in the charter and who submits a timely application as specified in the charter unless the number of appl…

(a) The state board may terminate a charter under the following circumstances: (1)(A) If a majority of the parents or guardians of students enrolled at the charter school vote by a majority vote to request the termination of its charter at a public meeting called with two weeks’ …

(a) A local charter school shall be included in the allotment of QBE formula earnings, applicable QBE grants, applicable non-QBE state grants, and applicable federal grants to the local school system in which the local charter school is located under Article 6 of this chapter. Th…

There is established within the Department of Education an Office of Charter School Compliance, the responsibilities of which shall be to: (1) Prepare charter school and charter system guidelines to be approved by the state board; (2) Distribute charter school and charter system …