--- title: HR 421. Charter Schools Day at the state capitol; February 26, 2025; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr421 cite_as: HR 421, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr421 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr421.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr421/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70885 date: 2025-02-26 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/hr420.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr422.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr421.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 421 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-26 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Scott Hilton - Jan Jones - Todd Jones - Bethany Ballard - Carmen Rice - Rick Townsend text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR421/2025 upstream_id: 1985846 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - charter schools - public education - school choice - Georgia state capitol --- # HR 421. Charter Schools Day at the state capitol; February 26, 2025; recognize ## Text House Resolution 421 By: Representatives Hilton of the 48th, Jones of the 47th, Jones of the 25th, Ballard of the 147th, Rice of the 139th, and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing February 26, 2025, as Charter Schools Day at the state capitol; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Georgia's first charter school law was enacted in 1993, and there are currently 96 charter schools operating in communities throughout the state; and WHEREAS, charter schools are tuition-free, public schools that have fair and open enrollment procedures and serve students and families in all 159 counties in Georgia; and WHEREAS, a recent national study of charter school performance conducted by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University found that students in charter schools outperformed their peers in traditional public schools by an average of 16 additional days of learning in reading and six additional days of learning in math; and WHEREAS, the members of this body commend the dedicated teachers and leaders serving in Georgia's charter schools and celebrate the 65,000 public school students enrolled in charter schools throughout the state; and WHEREAS, additional charter school seats are needed to serve the 21,000 students who currently appear on charter school wait lists in Georgia. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize February 26, 2025, as Charter Schools Day at the state capitol. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the Georgia Charter Schools Association, the public, and the press. ## 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 recognizes February 26, 2025 as Charter Schools Day at the state capitol, honoring the state's charter school students, teachers, and leaders. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia House of Representatives rather than a change to state law. It designates February 26, 2025 as Charter Schools Day at the state capitol and highlights facts about Georgia's charter school system, including that the state's first charter school law passed in 1993 and that 96 charter schools currently operate across all 159 counties. The resolution cites a Stanford University study finding charter school students gained more learning days than peers in traditional public schools, notes about 65,000 students are enrolled in Georgia charter schools, and points out 21,000 students remain on waiting lists. It directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies to the Georgia Charter Schools Association, the public, and the press. ### What it does - Formally recognizes February 26, 2025 as Charter Schools Day at the Georgia state capitol. - States facts about Georgia's charter school system, including the number of schools, students enrolled, and wait list figures. - Cites a Stanford University research study comparing charter school and traditional public school student performance. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to the Georgia Charter Schools Association, the public, and the press. ### Who it affects This resolution mainly affects Georgia's charter school students, teachers, and administrators, whom it publicly honors. It also involves the Georgia Charter Schools Association and the Clerk of the House, who are responsible for distributing copies of the resolution. ### Why it matters The resolution does not change any law, funding, or school policy. Its practical effect is symbolic recognition, drawing public attention to charter schools' enrollment numbers, wait lists, and cited academic performance data for one day at the capitol. ### Key provisions - The resolving clause designates February 26, 2025 as Charter Schools Day at the state capitol. - A further resolution clause directs the Clerk of the House to prepare and distribute copies to the Georgia Charter Schools Association, the public, and the press. - The preamble recounts background facts, including the 1993 charter school law, 96 current charter schools, and 65,000 enrolled students. - The preamble notes 21,000 students are on charter school wait lists statewide. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-26) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-02-26) - Sponsors: Scott Hilton, Jan Jones, Todd Jones, Bethany Ballard, Carmen Rice, Rick Townsend - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70885 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr421.md?full=1