--- title: HR 384. Ben Hill County School District; recipients of the Georgia Reads Community Award; dedication to literacy advancement; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr384 cite_as: HR 384, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr384 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr384.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr384/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70766 date: 2025-02-24 status: passed 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr383.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr385.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr384.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 384 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-24 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Chris Erwin - Leesa Hagan - Noel Williams text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR384/2025 upstream_id: 1982169 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - literacy programs - Ben Hill County - education - legislative honors --- # HR 384. Ben Hill County School District; recipients of the Georgia Reads Community Award; dedication to literacy advancement; commend ## Text House Resolution 384 By: Representatives Erwin of the 32nd, Hagan of the 156th, and Williams of the 148th A RESOLUTION Congratulating and commending the Ben Hill County School District, recipient of the Georgia Reads Community Award, for its dedication to literacy advancement; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the Georgia Council on Literacy is dedicated to improving literacy from birth through adulthood and recognizes that communities play a critical role in addressing low literacy rates; and WHEREAS, the Georgia Reads Community Award was established to recognize communities across Georgia that have formed partnerships of two or more organizations, sustained for at least three years, with a strategic plan and measurable results in literacy improvement; and WHEREAS, the Ben Hill County School District is a recipient of the Georgia Reads Community Award for its collaborative efforts to address barriers that students face, such as poverty, lack of resources, and academic challenges; and WHEREAS, Communities in Schools collaborates with the Ben Hill County School District to place site coordinators within schools to build relationships with students and families, offering mentorship, counseling, and academic support; and WHEREAS, its meaningful partnerships include the Ben Hill County School District, Communities in Schools, L4GA, CLCP, Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Chamber of Commerce, Dorminy Medical Center, the Monitor Enrichment Program, civic organizations, PTO, and numerous private businesses and industries in Fitzgerald and Ben Hill County, demonstrating a strong commitment to literacy development through community collaboration; and WHEREAS, the Ben Hill County School District and its partners have diligently developed and implemented innovative programs that have increased literacy rates within their communities; and WHEREAS, these initiatives have led to measurable improvements in reading proficiency, ensuring greater opportunities for success in education and career development; and WHEREAS, the dedication and hard work of the Ben Hill County School District and its partners serve as an inspiration to others, demonstrating the power of community-driven solutions to address literacy challenges. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body congratulate and commend the Georgia Reads Community Award recipients, particularly the Ben Hill County School District, for their exemplary service and unwavering commitment to improving literacy in their communities. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the Ben Hill County School District. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution commends the Ben Hill County School District for winning the Georgia Reads Community Award, recognizing its community partnerships to improve literacy. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a change to state law. It recognizes the Ben Hill County School District as a recipient of the Georgia Reads Community Award, given by the Georgia Council on Literacy to communities that build sustained partnerships to improve literacy. The resolution describes how the district worked with groups like Communities in Schools, local businesses, the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Chamber of Commerce, and Dorminy Medical Center to place site coordinators in schools, offer mentorship and counseling, and raise reading proficiency. The House formally congratulates the district and directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to the school district as a record of the honor. ### What it does - Congratulates and commends the Ben Hill County School District for receiving the Georgia Reads Community Award. - Recites the district's literacy partnerships with organizations such as Communities in Schools and local businesses in Fitzgerald and Ben Hill County. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send a copy of the resolution to the Ben Hill County School District. - Does not create, amend, or repeal any Georgia statute; it is a symbolic honor rather than a binding law. ### Who it affects The Ben Hill County School District and its community partners, including Communities in Schools, local civic organizations, and Fitzgerald-area businesses named in the resolution, receive formal recognition from the Georgia House of Representatives. ### Why it matters The resolution has no legal effect and changes no Georgia law or funding. Its practical significance is symbolic: it gives the Ben Hill County School District and its literacy partners formal, public recognition from the state legislature for their community-based literacy work. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses describe the Georgia Reads Community Award and the criteria for earning it, including sustained multi-organization partnerships of at least three years. - The resolved clause formally congratulates and commends the Ben Hill County School District for its literacy efforts. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to the district. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-24) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-02-24) - Sponsors: Chris Erwin, Leesa Hagan, Noel Williams - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70766 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr384.md?full=1