SB369: SB369 "Charter Schools Act of 1998"; completion charter schools; provide

This bill touches several parts of Georgia's K-12 education laws (Title 20, Chapter 2 of the Official Code of Georgia). It directs the State Board of Education to write rules by July 1, 2027 for nontraditional education programs like dropout prevention and credit recovery. It expands the 'Dexter Mosely Act', which already lets home-schooled students play on their resident public school's teams, to also cover students enrolled full-time in qualifying all-virtual public schools, starting with the 2027-2028 school year, as long as they meet grade, conduct, and residency requirements. The bill also creates a new kind of charter school, called a 'dropout recovery charter school,' for grades six through twelve, and lets existing charter schools convert to that model. It requires school districts to weigh long-term costs when buying classroom technology and report on device repairs starting in 2027. It also changes the charter school incentive grant program (moving the payment deadline and administering agency), shortens how long a closed state charter school must keep records from one year to 180 days, and updates several charter school oversight and definition provisions. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.

• Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules by July 1, 2027 governing dropout prevention, credit recovery, and flexible-schedule education programs.
• Expands the 'Dexter Mosely Act' so that, starting in the 2027-2028 school year, full-time students at qualifying all-virtual public schools can try out for and join their resident school's sports teams and clubs under set conditions.
• Creates a new charter school category called 'dropout recovery charter school' for grades 6-12 and allows existing charter schools to convert into one.
• Requires local school boards to weigh long-term costs, repair rates, and resale value when buying classroom technology, and to report device data to the Department of Education starting in 2027.
• Changes the charter school incentive grant program, shifting administration to the Department of Education and moving the payment deadline from August 1 to September 1.
• Shortens the time a closed state charter school's nonprofit operator must keep student and school records, from one year down to 180 days, before handing them to the State Charter Schools Commission.

Public school students and parents, especially those in home study or full-time virtual schools; local school boards and superintendents; the State Board of Education, State Charter Schools Commission, and Department of Education; existing and prospective charter school operators; and school districts purchasing classroom technology.

Georgia families choosing full-time virtual schooling would gain a path for their kids to join resident school teams and clubs starting in 2027-2028. Charter school operators get a new dropout recovery model and faster (but shortened) record-keeping timelines, while districts face new technology purchasing and reporting duties.

• Section 1 adds Code Section 20-2-154.4, requiring statewide definitions and rules for nontraditional education programs by July 1, 2027, with annual performance reporting by the Office of Student Achievement.
• Section 2 revises the Dexter Mosely Act (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-319.6) to add 'virtual school student' and 'qualifying virtual school' definitions and let such students join resident school extracurricular activities starting in the 2027-2028 school year, subject to notice, grade, conduct, and tryout requirements.
• Section 3 adds Code Section 20-2-1018, requiring school boards to weigh long-term ownership costs when buying technology devices over $100 and to report device break/fix data annually starting in 2027.
• Sections 4-5 create the 'dropout recovery charter school' category for grades 6-12 and set rules for new petitions and conversions of existing charters into this model.
• Section 6 requires the State Board of Education and State Charter Schools Commission to set separate performance principles and standards for dropout recovery charter schools.
• Section 7 revises the charter school incentive grant program (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2064.2), moving administration to the Department of Education, changing the payment date to September 1, capping grants at $2.25 million per year, and setting automatic repeal of the section on July 1, 2035.
• Section 9 expands the duties of the Office of Charter School Compliance, including publishing standardized charter petition evaluation guidelines and offering more technical assistance to local school systems.
• Section 12 shortens the record retention period for a closed state charter school's nonprofit operator from one year to 180 days before transferring records to the State Charter Schools Commission.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-07-01
2. 2026-05-11Act 504
3. 2026-05-11Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2026-04-10Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2026-03-31Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
6. 2026-03-27House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
7. 2026-03-27House Third Readers (House)
8. 2026-03-20House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)

• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)Primary sponsor
• Jason Esteves (D, SD-035)
• RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
• Jan Jones (R, HD-047)

1. PassedSenate voteFebruary 17, 2026

   47 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 3 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #551

2. PassedHouse voteMarch 27, 2026

   151 yea, 6 nay (4 not voting, 15 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #784

3. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2026

   49 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Agree To House Substitute: Senate Vote #920

• charter schools
• virtual schools
• school sports eligibility
• school technology purchasing
• dropout recovery programs