Georgia CommonsSenate · Engrossed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
SB 171: Quality Basic Education Act; State Board of Education to develop an advanced mathematics pathway; require
Last action February 26, 2026 · House Second Readers
A Georgia Senate bill would require the State Board of Education to create an advanced math track for grades three through eight, with automatic enrollment for qualifying students and mandatory offerings in middle school.
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 Engrossed version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Currently Georgia has no statewide advanced mathematics track defined in law for elementary and middle school students. This bill adds a new section to the Quality Basic Education Act requiring the State Board of Education, by January 1, 2027, to build an advanced math pathway for grades three through eight designed to let students take a high school level math course while still in middle school. The state board must set qualification criteria, automatically enroll qualifying students in grades six through eight (with an opt out for parents), and let parents of non-qualifying students enroll their child if the student scored above the 50th percentile on the prior year's math assessment. Local school systems may offer the pathway in grades three through five but must offer it in grades six through eight. The Department of Education must file an annual report to state leaders breaking down enrollment and test scores by demographic categories.
What the bill does
- Requires the State Board of Education to develop an advanced math pathway for grades three through eight by January 1, 2027, ending in a high school level math course taken in middle school.
- Requires automatic enrollment of qualifying students into the pathway for grades six through eight, while letting parents opt their child out.
- Allows parents of non-qualifying students to enroll them if the student scored above the 50th percentile statewide on the prior year's math assessment.
- Makes the pathway optional for local school systems in grades three through five but mandatory for grades six through eight.
- Requires the Department of Education to submit an annual report to the Governor, legislative leaders, and education committee chairs on enrollment and test scores broken down by demographic factors.
- Allows local school systems to offer additional supports and services to students and teachers involved in the pathway.
Who it affects
Public school students in grades three through eight and their parents or guardians, local school systems and teachers who must offer or support the pathway, the State Board of Education and Department of Education, which must design the program and report on it, and state legislative leaders who receive the annual report.
Why it matters
Middle schoolers who qualify could be automatically placed into advanced math and reach high school level coursework earlier, while parents retain the ability to opt out or opt in based on test scores. School districts statewide would gain a new mandatory offering in grades six through eight, changing scheduling and staffing decisions.
Key provisions
- New Code Section 20-2-159.6(a) requires the state board to develop the pathway and adopt qualification and enrollment policies by January 1, 2027.
- Subsection (a)(3) and (a)(4) set the opt-out rule for automatically enrolled students and the 50th percentile test score threshold for students seeking to opt in.
- Subsection (b)(1) makes the pathway optional for local school systems in grades three through five, allowing added supports for students and teachers.
- Subsection (b)(2) makes the pathway mandatory for local school systems in grades six through eight.
- Subsection (c) requires an annual Department of Education report by December 1 to the Governor, Senate President, House Speaker, and education committee chairs, disaggregated by ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status, disability, language proficiency, grade level, and school.
From the bill
“the State Board of Education shall develop an advanced mathematics pathway for grades three through eight which culminates in students taking a high school level mathematics course in middle school”
“Permit the parent or guardian of a student who qualifies for automatic enrollment to opt his or her child out of such automatic enrollment”
“Each local school system shall offer the advanced mathematics pathway developed by the State Board of Education in grades six through eight.”
Discussed in meetings (8)
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.
Senate Education and Youth Committee, February 3, 2026
From 1:07:17 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 171 would require an advanced math pathway in grades six through eight, with automatic enrollment for qualifying students and parental opt-out, while allowing districts to offer a pathway in grades three through five. The sponsor said annual state reports would track enrollment, opt-outs, courses and performance. A GeorgiaCAN witness said the bill addressed capable students being overlooked and schools lacking advanced courses. Members questioned exclusion through testing, duplication of gifted programs and Math Corps, reporting burdens, teacher preparation and rural access. The sponsor could not fully answer how existing district processes would be affected. The GeorgiaCAN witness said teacher-support language was already included. An education department representative said Georgia Virtual School offered math courses paid for by districts and that a related state board rule was underway. One member proposed guaranteeing enrollment upon a parent or guardian’s request. Another opposed relying solely on parental choice, saying professional judgment should count. That amendment passed with three opposed. A second amendment, initially proposing July 1, 2026, was revised to require pathway development by January 1, 2027, and adopted. The committee approved the amended bill with two opposed; the favorable vote total was not stated.
Senate floor session, February 4, 2026 (legislative day 12)
From 0:25:51 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The clerk read the Education and Youth Committee's recommendation to pass a committee substitute. Later, during a personal-privilege speech, a senator disputed the characterization of remarks made during the previous day's committee discussion of SB 171. The senator said those remarks had falsely been portrayed as speaking only for minority students and denied using that term. The senator criticized piecemeal education policies, said the senator's work was intended to serve every constituent and asked colleagues not to make assumptions about others' views. The speech did not explain the bill's provisions, and no floor vote on passage followed.
Senate Rules Committee, February 17, 2026
From 0:07:57 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter said SB 171 would allow schools to develop advanced mathematics pathways in grades three through five and require a pathway in grades six through eight to prepare students for further advanced mathematics. No questions or calendar action followed.
Senate Rules Committee, February 19, 2026
From 0:09:33 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair called up SB 171 and said the committee had heard it previously. There was no further presentation or action.
Senate Rules Committee, February 20, 2026
From 0:05:14 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor described SB 171 as a mathematics pathways program for elementary and middle school students to prepare them for later mathematics courses. A committee member later selected the bill for the floor calendar. The committee unanimously approved it as part of a five-bill calendar motion.
Senate floor session, February 24, 2026 (legislative day 23)
From 2:14:48 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenting senator said SB 171 would require an advanced math pathway for grades six through eight and authorize one for grades three through five. The senator said this would help students take high school math in middle school and prepare for more advanced study. The senator explained that qualifying students would be enrolled automatically unless parents opted out. An amendment would also let parents enroll students who did not qualify automatically if their prior statewide math assessment score was above the 50th percentile. The presenting senator supported that amendment. No questions or opposing speeches followed. The Senate adopted the amendment and committee substitute without objection and passed the bill, 53-0.
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Recommitted (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
Show full history (10 actions)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-31)
- Billy Hickman (R, SD-4)
- Max Burns (R, SD-23)
- RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-38)
- Chuck Payne (R, SD-54)
- Sonya Halpern (D, SD-39)
- Shawn Still (R, SD-48)
- Ed Setzler (R, SD-37)
- Elena Parent (D, SD-44)
- Donzella James (D, SD-28)
- Clint Dixon (R, SD-45)
- Freddie Powell Sims (D, SD-12)
- Rick Williams (R, SD-25)
- Timothy Bearden (R, SD-30)
- Bo Hatchett (R, SD-50)
- Sally Harrell (D, SD-40)
Votes
- Senate voteFebruary 24, 2026
53 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 1 excused)
Topics
- math education
- Quality Basic Education Act
- school curriculum
- student enrollment policy
- K-12 education