---
title: HB 245. Georgia Educational Opportunity Act; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb245
cite_as: HB 245, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb245
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb245.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb245/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69850
date: 2025-02-06
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb245.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 245
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-04
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Phil Olaleye
- Tyler Smith
- Lydia Glaize
- Karlton Howard
- Gerald Greene
- David Wilkerson
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB245/2025
upstream_id: 1955735
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- school funding
- education poverty programs
- homeless students
- foster care students
- Quality Basic Education Act
---
# HB 245. Georgia Educational Opportunity Act; enact
## Text
House Bill 245
By: Representatives Olaleye of the 59th, Smith of the 18th, Glaize of the 67th, Howard of the
129th, Greene of the 154th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to add a program for students living in
poverty to the table of quality basic education instructional programs with weights and
student-teacher ratios; to provide for definitions; to provide for a short title; to provide for
related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Georgia Educational Opportunity Act."
SECTION 2.
Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
"Quality Basic Education Act," is amended by revising Code Section 20-2-130, relating to
short title, as follows:
"20-2-130.
(a) This article shall be known and may be cited as the 'Quality Basic Education Act.'
(b) As used in this article:
(1) 'Student in foster care' means a student enrolled in a public school who is placed in
a foster family home, child care institution, or another substitute care setting approved
by the Department of Human Services or Division of Family and Children Services.
(2) 'Student living in poverty' means a student enrolled in a public school who meets one
or more of the following criteria:
(A) Lives in a family unit directly certified to be receiving Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits;
(B) Lives in a family unit directly certified to be receiving Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) benefits;
(C) Is a student in foster care; or
(D) Is a student without stable housing.
(3) 'Student without stable housing' means a student enrolled in a public school who
meets the definition of the term 'homeless children and youths' under the federal
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, codified at 42 U.S.C. Section 11301, et seq.,
in force and effect on January 1, 2025."
SECTION 3.
Said article is further amended by adding a new paragraph to subsection (b) of Code Section
20-2-161, relating to quality basic education formula, to read as follows:
"(19) Students living in poverty program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7500
weight and
1 to 15
ratio"
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
House Bill 245 would add a new funding category to Georgia's school funding formula for students living in poverty, giving school districts extra state money based on a 1.75 weight and a 15-to-1 student-teacher ratio.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia funds public schools through the Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula, which assigns extra funding weights to certain groups of students, such as those in special education or gifted programs. Currently there is no separate funding category tied to student poverty. House Bill 245, called the Georgia Educational Opportunity Act, would add such a category.
The bill defines 'student living in poverty' to include students in families certified for SNAP or TANF benefits, students in foster care, and students without stable housing (using the federal McKinney-Vento definition of homeless children and youths). It then adds a new line to the QBE funding formula in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-161 for a 'students living in poverty program,' assigning it a funding weight of 1.7500 and a student-teacher ratio of 1 to 15. The bill also adds a related definition for 'student in foster care' to the QBE short title section. It does not set an effective date beyond the standard process, and repeals any conflicting laws.
### What it does
- Adds a new 'students living in poverty program' line item to Georgia's Quality Basic Education funding formula (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-161) with a weight of 1.7500 and a 1-to-15 student-teacher ratio.
- Defines 'student living in poverty' to cover students in households certified for SNAP or TANF benefits, students in foster care, and students without stable housing.
- Defines 'student without stable housing' by referencing the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act's definition of homeless children and youths.
- Defines 'student in foster care' as a student placed in a foster family home, child care institution, or other approved substitute care setting.
- Gives the Act a short title, the 'Georgia Educational Opportunity Act.'
### Who it affects
Georgia public school districts and the state education funding formula are directly affected, along with students who qualify as living in poverty (those in SNAP or TANF households, in foster care, or without stable housing) and the school staff and administrators who count and serve those students under the new program category.
### Why it matters
If enacted, school districts would receive additional state funding tied specifically to the number of students who qualify as living in poverty, potentially allowing smaller class sizes or added staffing in schools serving low-income, homeless, or foster care students, since the formula sets a 15-to-1 student-teacher ratio for this group.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 names the bill the 'Georgia Educational Opportunity Act.'
- Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-130 to add definitions for 'student in foster care,' 'student living in poverty,' and 'student without stable housing.'
- Section 2 ties the definition of 'student without stable housing' to the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act as in effect on January 1, 2025.
- Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-161 to add a new paragraph (19) creating a 'students living in poverty program' with a funding weight of 1.7500 and a 1-to-15 student-teacher ratio.
- Section 4 repeals any state laws that conflict with the Act.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-04)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-06)
- Sponsors: Phil Olaleye, Tyler Smith, Lydia Glaize, Karlton Howard, Gerald Greene, David Wilkerson
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69850
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb245.md?full=1