HB706: HB706 Quality Basic Education Act; history of Black Americans; provide coursework

Georgia law already lets local school boards require a semester course on the country's founding philosophy and principles for graduation, covering topics like the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and movements such as abolition and civil rights. This bill adds a new topic to that list: the history of Black Americans, covering both struggles and triumphs throughout U.S. history and their contributions to American society. It also updates the course's start date from the 2017-2018 school year to 2025-2026. Separately, the bill fills in a currently reserved section of Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-308) to require every school run by a local education agency to hold at least one class period on the history of Black Americans. Schools are encouraged, but not required, to focus these activities during February.

• Adds the history of Black Americans, including struggles, triumphs, and contributions, to the list of topics local boards may include in the optional founding-principles high school course.
• Updates the effective start date of that founding-principles course from the 2017-2018 school year to the 2025-2026 school year.
• Fills in a previously reserved code section to require every school run by a local education agency to hold at least one class period on the history of Black Americans.
• Encourages, without mandating, that schools schedule this class period during February.

Georgia public school students in grades nine through twelve who take the founding-principles course, all K-12 public schools statewide that must now hold a class period on Black American history, local boards of education, and local education agencies responsible for scheduling and compliance.

If passed, every Georgia public school would be required to teach at least one class period on the history of Black Americans, a topic not currently mandated statewide, while the existing high school civics course would also formally include this history as one of its covered topics.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-142.1 to add a new item (F) covering the struggles, triumphs, and contributions of Black Americans to the list of transformational movements taught in the optional founding-principles course.
• Section 1 also updates subsection (e) so the course applies beginning in the 2025-2026 school year instead of 2017-2018.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-2-308, previously reserved (left blank), to require each school operated by a local education agency to hold at least one class period on Black American history.
• Section 2 encourages, but does not require, schools to hold these programs during February.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-03-06House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-03-04House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-03-03House Hopper (House)

• Solomon Adesanya (D, HD-043)Primary sponsor
• Mekyah McQueen (D, HD-061)
• Phil Olaleye (D, HD-059)
• Robert Dawson (D, HD-065)
• Park Cannon (D, HD-058)

• public education
• Black history education
• school curriculum
• civics education
• Georgia schools