SB126: SB126 Completion Special Schools Act; certain students to be enrolled; lower the age of eligibility from 18 to 16

Georgia's Completion Special Schools Act sets up special schools aimed at helping students who have dropped out finish their education. Under current law, a student generally has to be 18 or older, have dropped out of school, and not be currently enrolled in a public school to qualify as an 'enrollment eligible student' for one of these programs. This bill rewrites part of that law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2096.1) to lower that age threshold from 18 to 16. It also keeps the existing definition of 'dropout' as someone 16 or older who left school under the state's uniform dropout definition, and keeps the separate eligibility path for students in a U.S. Department of Defense Youth Challenge Academy or in custody at a correctional or detention facility. The bill repeals any conflicting laws and does not state a separate effective date beyond the standard process for a signed Act.

• Lowers the minimum age for a dropout student to qualify for enrollment in a completion special school from 18 to 16.
• Keeps the existing rule that an eligible student must not be currently enrolled in a public school in Georgia.
• Leaves unchanged the eligibility path for students attending a Department of Defense Youth Challenge Academy or held in a correctional or detention facility.
• Repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with this change.

16- and 17-year-olds in Georgia who have dropped out of school, along with the completion special schools and local school systems that run these dropout-recovery programs and would now be able to enroll younger students.

Two years' worth of additional teenagers, those who drop out at 16 or 17 instead of waiting until 18, would become eligible to enroll in a completion special school sooner, potentially letting them re-engage with education and work toward a diploma earlier.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2096.1 by revising paragraph (6), changing the eligibility age in the definition of 'enrollment eligible student' from 18 to 16.
• The revised definition still requires the individual to meet the dropout definition in paragraph (5) and to not be currently enrolled in a public school in Georgia.
• Paragraph (5)'s definition of 'dropout' remains an individual 16 years of age or older who dropped out under the uniform definition in O.C.G.A. § 20-14-33(f).
• The separate eligibility category for Youth Challenge Academy attendees or individuals in custody at a correctional or detention facility is retained without change.
• Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with the Act.

1. 2025-03-10House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-03-06House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-03-04Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
4. 2025-03-04Senate Third Read (Senate)
5. 2025-02-20Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
6. 2025-02-19Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-02-10Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-02-06Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)Primary sponsor
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-027)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
• Elena Parent (D, SD-044)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 4, 2025

   50 yea, 1 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #154

• dropout recovery programs
• completion special schools
• education eligibility age
• Georgia public schools