Georgia CommonsHouse · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HR 1348: School superintendent; qualifications, duties, and salary shall be established by the board of education and elected by voters; provide - CA
Last action February 24, 2026 · House Committee Favorably Reported
A Georgia House resolution would ask voters to change the state Constitution so local school boards keep setting superintendents' qualifications, duties and pay, while letting local voters choose by referendum to elect their superintendent instead of having the board appoint one.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Georgia's Constitution currently says each local school system has a superintendent appointed by the local board of education, who serves as the board's executive officer. This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment clarifying that the school board sets the superintendent's qualifications, duties, and salary under state law, and keeps appointment by the board as the default method. The amendment also lets the General Assembly pass a local law allowing a school system's superintendent to instead be elected directly by voters in that district, but only if a majority of that district's voters approve the switch in a referendum. The proposal would remove an outdated provision about school superintendents who were still elected before 1993. If the General Assembly approves this resolution, the amendment goes to Georgia voters statewide for ratification or rejection.
What the bill does
- Amends the Georgia Constitution to state that a school board sets the superintendent's qualifications, duties, and salary under general law.
- Keeps board appointment as the default way local school superintendents get their jobs.
- Authorizes the General Assembly to pass local laws letting a school system's voters elect their superintendent instead, if approved in a local referendum.
- Removes the outdated constitutional clause about elected superintendents serving out pre-1993 terms.
- Sends the proposed amendment to Georgia voters statewide for a yes-or-no ratification vote.
Who it affects
Local school superintendents, local boards of education, the General Assembly, and voters in each Georgia school district, who could gain the option to vote directly for their superintendent instead of having the school board appoint one.
Why it matters
If ratified, this would open the door for individual Georgia communities to switch from board-appointed to voter-elected school superintendents through a local vote, changing who controls who runs the school system's day-to-day administration and how accountable that person is to the public.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises Article VIII, Section V, Paragraph III of the Constitution to state the board of education sets qualifications, duties, and salary of the superintendent as provided by general law.
- Section 1 keeps board appointment as the standard method but allows the General Assembly to pass local law permitting election by voters if a majority approve in a local referendum.
- Section 1 removes obsolete language about superintendents elected before January 1, 1993 finishing their terms.
- Section 2 sets the exact ballot language voters will see and directs that the amendment be submitted for statewide ratification under Article X, Section I, Paragraph II of the Constitution.
From the bill
“The qualifications, duties, and salary of the school superintendent shall be established by the board of education as provided by general law.”
“the General Assembly may provide by local law, subject to approval by a majority of the qualified electors of the local school system voting in a referendum thereon, for the election of the school superintendent”
Discussed in meetings (4)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Governmental Affairs Committee, February 23, 2026
From 2:12:41 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HR 1348 would propose a constitutional amendment allowing counties to choose elected school superintendents through local legislation and a local referendum, while retaining appointed superintendents elsewhere. The sponsor argued residents should be able to elect officials administering school spending and said elected superintendents would live in the district and serve four-year terms. One committee member opposed the proposal, questioning who would supervise an elected superintendent, how it would fit accreditation rules and whether statewide demand had been established. The sponsor said district constituents supported the option but could not give a statewide percentage and said they were unfamiliar with the accreditation rules raised. Another member supported election as a way to increase accountability for property-tax spending. In response to questions about authority, the sponsor said the board would set policy and approve actions while the superintendent handled administration and implementation. The chair also described that division of responsibilities, and the sponsor agreed. The committee approved a do-pass motion by voice vote.
Status timeline
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Alan Powell (R, HD-33)
- David Wilkerson (D, HD-38)
- Trey Kelley (R, HD-16)
- Lydia Glaize (D, HD-67)
- Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)
- Rick Jasperse (R, HD-11)
Topics
- school superintendents
- education governance
- constitutional amendment
- local referendums
- school boards