House Bill 907 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Jones of the 47th, Burns of the 159th, Dubnik of the 29th, Jasperse of the
11th, Erwin of the 32nd, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 31C of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
the "Completion Special Schools Act," so as to require certain local school systems to either
be a party to a collaborative operating agreement with a completion special school or provide
certain education programs and services to students in grades nine through 12; to require
completion special schools to provide certain information to resident school systems twice
each year and for the resident school systems to provide such information to students in
grades nine through 12 and their parents and guardians; to provide for direct registration of
program students in completion special schools by parents and guardians; to require
completion special schools and resident school systems to coordinate enrollment of program
students; to revise provisions by which completion special schools may operate one or more
programs outside the attendance zone assigned to such completion special school; to provide
for transition period; to require local school systems to provide to completion special schools
the contact information for students who stop attending or withdraw from the local school
system, subject to conditions and exceptions; to provide for an effective date; to provide for
related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 31C of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the
"Completion Special Schools Act," is amended by revising Code Section 20-2-2096.3,
relating to requirements of completion special schools, student enrollment, and waivers or
variances, as follows:
"20-2-2096.3.
(a) Each completion special school shall be a public school and shall:
(1) Provide education programs and services to students in grades nine through 12,
including, but not limited to:
(A) Nontraditional education programs and services for students who are eligible to
attend a traditional public school but are more likely to succeed in a nontraditional
setting such as that provided in such completion special school;
(B) Dropout prevention and academic intervention programs;
(C) Programs for high school credit recovery; and
(D) Opportunities for students to schedule classes on weekdays, evenings, and
weekends;
(2) Operate under the supervision and direction of a governing board as provided for in
Code Section 20-2-2096.4;
(3) Be treated as a single local education agency for administrative purposes, including
data reporting, student enrollment counting procedures, student achievement reporting,
funding allocations, and related purposes as defined by the state board and consistent with
department rules and regulations; and
(4) Be the subject of a school report card prepared and distributed by the Office of
Student Achievement as provided in Code Section 20-14-34.
(b) Only enrollment eligible students shall be enrolled in a completion special school.
<ins>(c)(1)</ins> Students in grades nine through 12 who are enrolled in a school in their resident
school system shall be permitted to attend one or more classes in a completion special
school's credit recovery, dropout prevention, or academic intervention program <del>on a
part-time basis</del> as program students, subject to the following conditions:
<ins>(1)(A)</ins> The completion special school has available classroom space;
<ins>(2)(B)</ins> Such student shall not be included in the count provided for in Code Section
20-2-161 of the completion special school;
<ins>(3)(C)</ins> Such student remains enrolled in his or her resident school system; and
<ins>(4)(D)</ins> Such student's resident school system is party to a current collaborative
operating agreement with such completion special school which shall include, but shall
not be limited to, provisions for the following:
<del>(A)(i)</del> Funding to be provided by the resident school system to the completion special
school for program students who attend such school as provided in this subsection,
which funding shall be no less than what is required in subsection (b) of Code Section
20-2-2096.6;
<del>(B)(ii)</del> The number and qualifications of student liaisons to be employed by the
resident school system to provide academic support and monitoring for program
students who attend such school as provided in this subsection and the relevant terms
and conditions for how such liaisons will provide such support and monitoring; <del>and
</del> <ins>(iii)(I) By June 1 and December 1 each year, the completion special school shall
provide the resident school system with an updated description of programs
available for program students and detailed instructions and guidance for the
registration of students in grades nine through 12 to attend one or more classes at
such completion special school's credit recovery, dropout prevention, or academic
intervention program as a program student.
(II) Within seven calendar days of receiving the information provided for in
subdivision (I) of this division, the resident school system shall post such
information in a prominent location frequented by students at each high school in
</ins>
<ins>the resident school system and shall electronically provide such information to all
students in grades nine through 12 and their parents or guardians; and
(C)(iv)</ins> Such other requirements as may be established by the state board consistent
with this article.
<ins>(2) The parent or guardian of a student in grades nine through 12 who is enrolled or
eligible to be enrolled in a school in his or her resident school system shall be permitted
to register such student directly with a completion special school to attend one or more
classes at such completion special school's credit recovery, dropout prevention, or
academic intervention program as a program student, subject to the provisions of
paragraph (1) of this subsection; provided, however, that, if such student is not currently
enrolled in a school in his or her resident school system, the completion special school
and the resident school system shall work in coordination and without delay to enroll
such student in the resident school system.
</ins> (d) The state board shall be authorized to approve a request by a completion special school
for a waiver or variance of specifically identified state rules, regulations, policies, and
procedures or provisions of this chapter. The goal for each waiver and variance shall be
improvement of student performance. The state board shall not be authorized to waive or
approve variances on any federal, state, and local rules, regulations, court orders, and
statutes relating to civil rights; insurance; the protection of the physical health and safety
of school students, employees, and visitors; conflicting interest transactions; the prevention
of unlawful conduct; any laws relating to unlawful conduct in or near a public school; the
early intervention program provided for in Code Section 20-2-153; any reporting
requirements pursuant to Code Section 20-2-320 or Chapter 14 of this title; the
requirements of Code Section 20-2-210; the requirements of Code Section 20-2-211.1; or
the requirements in subsection (c) of Code Section 20-2-327. A local school system that
has received a waiver or variance shall remain subject to the provisions of Part 3 of
Article 2 of Chapter 14 of this title, the requirement that it shall not charge tuition or fees
to its students except as may be authorized for local boards by Code Section 20-2-133, and
shall remain open to enrollment in the same manner as before the waiver request."
SECTION 2.
Said article is further amended by revising subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-2096.7,
relating to attendance zones, payments, and use of funds, as follows:
"(b)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, only one completion
special school may operate in each attendance zone provided for in subsection (a) of this
Code section.
(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B) or (C) of this paragraph, <del>upon being
established as a completion special school, if such school is currently operating</del> <ins>an
existing completion special school may operate</ins> one or more programs outside the
attendance zone assigned to such school by the state board <del>then</del> <ins>, and</ins> the state board
shall be authorized to permit such school to continue to operate such program or
programs until <del>the earlier of June 30, 2028, or</del> the establishment of a new completion
special school that is assigned to the attendance zone where such program or programs
are operating <ins>and, in such cases, the state board shall provide for a reasonable transition
period for students of the existing completion special school.
</ins> (B) The state board shall be authorized to permit one or more completion special
schools to operate one or more programs outside the attendance zone assigned to such
school; provided, however, that such permitted program exclusively provides education
programs and services for students in grades nine through 12 to individuals who are
attending a United States Department of Defense Youth Challenge Academy or who
are in the custody of a correctional facility, detention facility, jail, prison, or other
lawful place of confinement; and provided, further, that the state board shall be
authorized to designate which completion special school is authorized to provide such
program or programs.
(C) The state board shall be authorized to permit an enrollment eligible student to
attend a completion special school outside of his or her attendance zone, provided that
such student resides in a county that is contiguous to but outside of the attendance zone
of such school; and provided, further, that such school is located closer to such student's
residence than the completion special school with the attendance zone where such
student's residence is located."
SECTION 3.
Said article is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
<ins>"20-2-2096.9.
(a) Each local school system with all or part of its territory within the attendance zone of
one or more operating completion special schools shall:
(1) Be a party to a collaborative operating agreement with at least one such operating
completion special school; or
(2) Provide education programs and services to students in grades nine through 12,
including, but not limited to:
(A) Dropout prevention and academic intervention programs;
(B) Programs for high school credit recovery; and
(C) Opportunities for students to schedule classes on weekdays, evenings, and
weekends.
(b)(1) Each local school system with all or part of its territory within the attendance zone
of one or more operating completion special schools shall provide to each such operating
completion special school the full name and last known address and telephone number
for each student in grades nine through 12 who:
(A) Does not attend the public school in which he or she is enrolled for a period of ten
consecutive school days; or
(B) Withdraws from school pursuant to Code Section 20-2-690.1.
</ins>
<ins>(2) The information required in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be provided by
each such local school system to each such operating completion special school no later
than ten school days after either condition provided for in subparagraph (A) or (B) of
paragraph (1) of this subsection is met.
(3) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection shall not apply to any student:
(A) Who has successfully completed all requirements for a high school diploma or a
state approved high school equivalency (HSE) diploma; or
(B) Whose parent or guardian has provided such local school system within the
preceding 45 school days a notice of intent to enroll such student in another local school
system."
</ins> SECTION 4.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval.
SECTION 5.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.