Georgia CommonsHB 971: Quality Basic Education Act; home study students and private school students to enroll in college and career academies located in certain RESA service areas and adjacent local school systems; provide
Last action March 31, 2026 · Senate Tabled
A Georgia House bill would let home study and private school students take courses at college and career academies located anywhere in their region, not just inside their home school district.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Under current Georgia law, home study students and private school students can only enroll in college and career academy courses if the academy sits inside their resident school system. HB971 expands that geographic reach so students can also enroll in a college and career academy located anywhere within the same regional educational service agency (RESA) service area as their residence, or in a local school system adjacent to their resident district, even if that adjacent district is in a different RESA area. The bill also narrows what counts as a qualifying 'course' under this law, limiting it to eligible career, technical, and agricultural education (CTAE) courses as defined in another section of Georgia code, rather than any course offered by the academy. All existing rules on fees, transportation responsibility, discipline, and funding for local school boards stay the same. The changes would take effect July 1, 2026, starting with the 2026-2027 school year.
What the bill does
- Expands where home study and private school students can enroll in college and career academy courses to include academies anywhere in the same RESA service area as their home, not just their own school district.
- Allows enrollment at academies in adjacent local school systems even when that adjacent system is in a different RESA service area.
- Narrows the definition of qualifying 'course' to eligible CTAE (career, technical, and agricultural education) courses as defined in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-161.3, rather than any course an academy offers.
- Keeps in place existing rules requiring available space, no tuition charges, student responsibility for transportation, and compliance with the academy's code of conduct.
- Sets the changes to take effect July 1, 2026, applying starting with the 2026-2027 school year.
Who it affects
Home study students and private school students across Georgia, their families, local school systems and boards of education, college and career academies, and regional educational service agencies (RESAs) that would need to coordinate enrollment across district lines.
Why it matters
Students who live near a college and career academy just outside their home district, or anywhere in their broader region, would gain access to career and technical courses they previously could not take. Local school boards would still earn funding for these students but must coordinate enrollment across a wider geographic area.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-2-319.5 to expand eligible academy locations to the same RESA service area or an adjacent local school system, in addition to the student's own resident school system.
- Section 1 redefines 'course' to mean only eligible CTAE courses as defined in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-161.3, narrowing what qualifies compared to current law.
- Section 1 retains the requirement that space be available and that local boards may not charge home study or private school students tuition for these courses.
- Section 1 keeps funding rules unchanged: local boards earn FTE (full-time equivalent) funds for enrolled students under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-160 in the same manner as nonresident students.
- Section 2 sets the effective date as July 1, 2026, applying beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.
- Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.
From the bill
“Local school systems are authorized to enroll home study students and private school students in one or more courses at a college and career academy which is geographically located within the student's resident school system, the same regional educational service agency (RESA) service area as the student's residence, or a local school system that is adjacent to the student's resident school system irrespective of whether such adjacent local school system is in the same RESA service area as the student's residence, so long as space is available in such course or courses.”
Status timeline
- Senate Tabled (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
Show full history (10 actions)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Rick Townsend (R, HD-179)
- Todd Jones (R, HD-025)
- Buddy DeLoach (R, HD-167)
- Lynn Smith (R, HD-070)
- Mitchell Horner (R, HD-003)
- Angie O'Steen (R, HD-169)
- Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)
Votes
- House voteFebruary 24, 2026
164 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 9 absent)
- Senate voteMarch 31, 2026
39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)
Topics
- home study students
- private school students
- college and career academies
- career and technical education
- school enrollment rules