HB200: HB200 State Board of Education; establish a three-year pilot immersive writing program for eligible public elementary schools; provide

25 LC 62 0204S The Senate Committee on Education and Youth offered the following substitute to HB 200: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1 elementary and secondary education, so as to provide for the us e of local school system2 facilities by certain youth groups; to provide for a definition ; to require that each new3 elementary school constructed on or after July 1, 2027, shall include a playground meeting4 certain standards; to provide playground design standards and m inimum guidelines; to5 provide for the State Board of Education to establish a three-y ear pilot immersive writing6 program for eligible public elementary schools; to provide for eligibility; to provide for grant7 funds for eligible public elementary schools to develop and imp lement immersive writing8 programs for students in grades two through five; to provide for applications and selection9 to participate in the pilot program; to provide for assessment and reporting on the impacts10 of the pilot program; to authorize the State Board of Education to promulgate rules and11 regulations to implement the pilot program; to provide for automatic repeal; to provide for12 related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal co nflicting laws; and for other13 purposes.14 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:15 - 1 - 25 LC 62 0204S SECTION 1.16 Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and17 secondary education, is amended in Code Section 20-2-261, relating to common minimum18 facility requirements, by revising subsection (a) as follows:19 "(a) The State Board of Education shall establish common minimum facility requirements20 which each public school facility must shall meet in order to be certified for use in any21 component of the educational or recreational program of that such school. Such minimum22 requirements shall:23 (1) Include such include those provisions of law or state board policy on matters that24 relate to:25 (A) Fire fire and physical safety;26 (B) Sanitation sanitation and health, including temperature and ventilation;27 (C) Minimum minimum space, size, and configuration for the various components of28 the instructional program; and29 (D) Construction construction stability, quality, and suitability for intended uses;. Such30 minimum requirements shall not31 (2) Not prohibit wood construction that is otherwise in compliance with state minimum32 standard codes as they existed on January 1, 2014. As used in this subsection, the term33 'state minimum standard codes' shall have the same meaning as in paragraph (9) of Code34 Section 8-2-20; and35 (3) Provide that the construction of each new elementary school commenced on or after36 July 1, 2027, shall include a playground which meets the following design standards:37 (A) Provides a sensory-diverse environment that enables childr en of all abilities to38 develop physically, socially, and emotionally;39 (B) Provides an engaging play space with age and ability-appro priate levels of40 challenge and offers opportunities for children of all abilities to succeed, regardless of41 physical and intellectual attributes;42 - 2 - 25 LC 62 0204S (C) Enables all students to benefit from state mandated recess time for elementary43 students;44 (D) Capable for use as an outdoor classroom that is open to all students; and45 (E) Meets the following minimum guidelines:46 (i) Playground is accessible via a sidewalk or pathway from the school;47 (ii) Playground is a minimum of 10,000 square feet in area;48 (iii) Fencing surrounds and encloses the entire playground area;49 (iv) A minimum of 20 percent of the total playground area shall be shaded; provided,50 however, that such shaded area may comprise more than one area so long as the total51 shaded area meets or exceeds 20 percent of the total playground area; and, provided,52 further, that such shading may be provided by natural means, such as existing mature53 trees, or man-made means, such as sun canopies;54 (v) Unitary surfacing shall be used throughout at least 80 percent of the playground55 area. Examples of unitary surfacing include, but are not limit ed to, turf, bonded56 rubber, and poured in place rubber; and57 (vi) Components that are installed on a portion of the playgro und with the unitary58 surfacing and accessible for all users that address the physica l, sensory, cognitive,59 social, emotional, imaginative, and communication needs of those who will visit the60 playground, including, but not limited to:61 (I) One communication board;62 (II) One learning American Sign Language (ASL) alphabet panel or one learning63 Braille alphabet panel;64 (III) One roller slide;65 (IV) A minimum of two pieces of equipment that make music, suc h as chimes,66 drums, and bells;67 (V) A minimum of two adaptive or accessible swings;68 - 3 - 25 LC 62 0204S (VI) A minimum of one play piece accessible to a child remaining in a wheelchair69 that allows such child to play with other children;70 (VII) A minimum of four sensory panels; and71 (VIII) A minimum of one wheelchair accessible raised structure or wheelchair72 accessible slide."73 SECTION 2.74 Said chapter is further amended by designating Code Sections 20-2-330 through 20-2-33475 as Part 1 and by adding a new part to read as follows:76 "Part 277 20-2-335.78 (a)(1) The State Board of Education shall establish a pilot immersive writing program79 for students in grades two through five in order to:80 (A) Provide funding for all public school students in grades t wo through five to81 participate in programs that provide for immersive writing experiences that are aligned82 with writing standards established by the State Board of Educat ion and can be83 integrated into existing curricula;84 (B) Improve literacy skills of elementary school students and motivate them to engage85 in writing projects; and86 (C) Study the impacts of such pilot writing program.87 (2) Subject to appropriations by the General Assembly, the pilot program shall include88 funding for up to $2 million in grants each school year, for up to three school years89 beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, to participating public elementary schools.90 (3) To be eligible to participate in the pilot program, a public elementary school shall:91 (A) Serve students in any grades two through five; and92 - 4 - 25 LC 62 0204S (B) By January 1, 2026, submit an application to participate i n the pilot program,93 which application shall include such school's statement of inte nt for the use of grant94 funds.95 (4) The State Board of Education shall establish pilot program requirements and criteria96 for selecting eligible public schools to participate in the pilot program in accordance with97 the provisions of this Code section.98 (5) The State Board of Education shall be authorized to establish reporting requirements99 for the public schools participating in the pilot program.100 (6) The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and re gulations necessary to101 carry out the provisions of this Code section.102 (b)(1) By October 1, 2025, the Department of Education shall d evelop an application103 process and seek applications from eligible public schools for the pilot program to be104 submitted no later than January 1, 2026.105 (2)(A) The Department of Education shall monitor and annually assess the status of the106 pilot program with cooperation and input from the public school s and local school107 systems participating in the pilot program.108 (B) Beginning no la ter than June 1, 2027, and by June 1 of eac h year thereafter, the109 Department of Education shall provide to the State Board of Education a report of the110 annual assessment provided for in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.111 (c) This Code section shall stand repealed in its entirety on July 1, 2029."112 SECTION 3.113 Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 20-2-1 2, which is reserved, as114 follows:115 "20-2-12.116 (a) As used in this Code section, the term 'patriotic society' means a youth group listed in117 Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society, incl uding the Boy Scouts of118 - 5 - 25 LC 62 0204S America and its affiliated Georgia groups and councils and the Girl Scouts of the United119 States of America and its affiliated Georgia groups and councils.120 (b) To encourage schools to facilitate access for students to participate in activities121 provided by a patriotic society for the purposes of encouraging civic education, each local122 school system that uses state funds to implement programs pursu ant to this chapter is123 encouraged to permit the use of such local school system's facilities by a patriotic society. 124 When a local school system denies a patriotic society access to a facility of such system,125 the principal of the school where such facility is located shal l provide in writing reasons126 for the denial to a requesting entity. Reserved."127 SECTION 4.128 This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025.129 SECTION 5.130 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.131 - 6 -