HB517: HB517 Student Success Support Act; enact

Georgia's Quality Basic Education Act already includes a remedial education program, but this bill adds a new piece to it. It directs the State Board of Education to set up a grant program aimed at the bottom five percent of public schools statewide, ranked by their individual school ratings from the Office of Student Achievement over the two most recent school years with ratings. Schools and local school systems could use these grants, worth up to $3 million total per school year, to provide supplemental remedial education services to students in kindergarten through grade 12 who have literacy or math deficiencies. The funding is explicitly subject to legislative appropriations, meaning it only flows if the General Assembly actually budgets the money in a given year. The bill also gives itself the short title the 'Student Success Support Act.'

• Adds a new subsection to Georgia's remedial education law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-154) creating a grant program for struggling schools.
• Caps the grant program at up to $3 million total per school year, and makes the funding dependent on the legislature actually appropriating the money.
• Limits eligibility to public schools that ranked in the lowest five percent statewide based on individual school ratings over the two most recent rated school years.
• Allows grant money to be used for supplemental literacy and math services for any student in kindergarten through grade 12 at an eligible school.
• Gives the bill the short title 'Student Success Support Act.'

The bill affects the State Board of Education, which would run the new grant program, and local school systems and public schools that fall into the bottom five percent of school ratings statewide. Students in kindergarten through grade 12 at those schools who struggle with literacy or math would be the intended recipients of the extra services.

If funded, schools with the lowest ratings in Georgia could get extra state money specifically for literacy and math help, potentially reaching students who are furthest behind. Because the money depends on future budget appropriations, whether any grants are actually awarded depends on separate funding decisions.

• Section 1 sets the bill's short title as the 'Student Success Support Act.'
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-154 by adding subsection (c), directing the State Board of Education to establish the grant program.
• Section 2 caps total grants at $3 million per school year and ties the program to available appropriations.
• Section 2 limits eligible schools to those in the lowest five percent of ratings for the two most recent school years rated by the Office of Student Achievement, referencing O.C.G.A. § 20-14-33.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-02-21House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-02-20House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-02-19House Hopper (House)

• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)Primary sponsor
• Bethany Ballard (R, HD-147)
• Phil Olaleye (D, HD-059)
• Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)
• Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)
• Miriam Paris (D, HD-142)

• education funding
• literacy programs
• math education
• low-performing schools
• K-12 schools