Georgia CommonsSenate · Engrossed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
SB 236: "Quality Basic Education Act,"; certain students whose parents or guardians are on active duty are eligible for enrollment in the public school of the attendance zone in which they intend to reside; provide
Last action April 4, 2025 · House Withdrawn, Recommitted
A Senate bill would let children of active-duty military parents enroll in the Georgia public school of the neighborhood they plan to move to, even before they have a lease or house there, but only on a 90-day provisional basis.
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 Comm Sub version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Under current Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-150), a student whose parent or guardian is on active duty in the U.S. armed forces and has military transfer orders can enroll in the public school for the attendance zone they will live in before actually moving there. This bill changes how that works by making clear the student can enroll in the zone they intend to reside in, even if the family has not yet signed a lease, bought a home, or otherwise secured housing there. The catch is that this early enrollment is now provisional. Within 90 days of the first day of enrollment, the family must give the school proof they have established residency in that attendance zone, or show they have made good faith efforts to do so. If they cannot show that, the student must switch to the school for the zone where the family actually lives at the end of the 90 days. High school juniors and seniors are allowed to stay at their school through graduation even if the family's actual residence changes.
What the bill does
- Lets a student whose parent has military transfer orders enroll in the school zone the family intends to move to, even without a signed lease or purchased home in that zone.
- Makes that early enrollment provisional, requiring proof within 90 days that the family has established residency or made good faith efforts to do so in that attendance zone.
- Requires the student to move to the school of the zone where the family actually resides if residency in the intended zone is not verified within 90 days.
- Allows high school juniors and seniors to remain in their current school through graduation even if their family's physical residence later changes.
Who it affects
Military families relocating to Georgia under official transfer orders, the students in those families, local school systems and school principals who must track the 90-day verification process, and Georgia public schools including state-chartered special schools under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-295.
Why it matters
Military families often face short timelines to find housing after a transfer. This bill lets their children start school in the neighborhood they plan to settle in right away, without waiting to finalize housing, while giving schools a 90-day check to confirm the family actually follows through on establishing residency there.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-2-150(e) to allow enrollment in the intended attendance zone regardless of whether housing has been secured yet.
- Section 1 requires written verification within 90 days of the first day of provisional enrollment showing established residency or good faith efforts to establish it.
- Section 1 requires the student to transfer to the school of the zone where the family actually resides if the 90-day verification is not provided.
- Section 1 exempts high school juniors and seniors from having to change schools due to a later change in physical residency.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting Georgia laws.
From the bill
“such enrollment shall be provisional and subject to written verification provided to the school principal or his or her designee within 90 days of the first day of such provisional enrollment”
“A high school student who is a junior or senior shall be permitted to remain enrolled in his or her current school placement until graduation despite any changes in physical residency.”
Status timeline
- House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
- Senate Tabled (Senate)
Show full history (12 actions)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Kenya Wicks (D, SD-34)
- Chuck Payne (R, SD-54)
- Nikki Merritt (D, SD-9)
- Russ Goodman (R, SD-8)
- Matt Brass (R, SD-6)
- Jason Esteves (D, SD-35)
- Tonya Anderson (D, SD-43)
- Michael 'Doc' Rhett (D, SD-33)
- Donzella James (D, SD-28)
- Ed Harbison (D, SD-15)
- Derek Mallow (D, SD-2)
- Gail Davenport (D, SD-17)
- Freddie Powell Sims (D, SD-12)
- David Clark (R, HD-100)
Votes
- Senate voteMarch 6, 2025
54 yea, 1 nay (1 not voting, 0 excused)
Topics
- military families
- school enrollment
- education policy
- Quality Basic Education Act