---
title: SB 249. "Quality Basic Education Act,"; beginning in the 2031-2032 school year, a computer science course shall be a high school graduation requirement; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb249
cite_as: SB 249, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb249
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb249.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb249/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70775
date: 2025-02-26
status: introduced
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb249.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 249
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-24
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
- Clint Dixon
- Jason Anavitarte
- Max Burns
- Marty Harbin
- Billy Hickman
- Shawn Still
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB249/2025
upstream_id: 1982057
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- computer science education
- high school graduation requirements
- Quality Basic Education Act
- CTAE courses
- Georgia public schools
---
# SB 249. "Quality Basic Education Act,"; beginning in the 2031-2032 school year, a computer science course shall be a high school graduation requirement; provide
## Text
Senate Bill 249
By: Senators Dixon of the 45th, Anavitarte of the 31st, Burns of the 23rd, Harbin of the 16th,
Hickman of the 4th and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 2 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to competencies and core curriculum under the "Quality Basic Education
Act," so as to provide that, beginning in the 2031-2032 school year, a computer science
course shall be a high school graduation requirement; to provide for certain computer science
courses to be substituted for units of credit graduation requirements in certain other subject
areas; to provide for such exception; to revise legislative findings; to provide for related
matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Part 2 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to competencies and core curriculum under the "Quality Basic Education Act," is
amended by revising Code Section 20-2-149.3, relating to requirements for computer science
education, as follows:
"20-2-149.3.
(a) The General Assembly finds that:
(1) Education in computer science is a critical need for the students of Georgia for the
twenty-first century; and
(2) Less than 0.5 percent of high school graduates have taken a computer science course;
(3) There are thousands of unfulfilled computer science jobs in the state; and
(4) The logical critical thinking skills taught by computer science are now very valuable
in many noncomputer science jobs, as technology has become embedded in most
professions.
(b) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Computer science' means the study of computers, algorithmic processes, coding,
artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and logical critical thinking, including
computer principles, their hardware and software designs, their implementation, and their
impact on society.
(2) 'Computer science courses and content' means high school courses that teach
computer science as stand-alone implementations and middle school courses that provide
instruction in computer science in stand-alone implementations or by being embedded
in other subjects and focus on how to create and understand technology, rather than by
simply using technology.
(3) 'High-quality professional learning' means professional development activities that:
(A) Clarify the conceptual foundations of computer science;
(B) Teach research based practices, including hands-on and inquiry based learning; and
(C) Are intended for teachers with or without prior exposure to computer science.
(4) 'High-quality professional learning providers' means institutions of higher education
in this state, local school systems, nonprofit organizations, or private entities that have
successfully designed, implemented, and scaled high-quality professional learning for
teachers and are approved or recommended by the State Board of Education in
coordination with the Department of Education.
(5) 'Offer' means providing a course taught by a computer science teacher:
(A) Who is onsite at the physical location of the school; or
(B) Who is not onsite at the physical location of the school but conducts the course
through virtual means with a proctor onsite at the physical location of the school.
(c)(1) Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year:
(A) Each local school system shall provide that at least one high school in its school
system offer a course in computer science;
(B) Each local school system shall provide that all middle schools in its school system
offer instruction in exploratory computer science;
(C) Each state charter school that serves high school students shall offer a course in
computer science;
(D) Each state charter school that serves middle school students shall offer instruction
in exploratory computer science;
(E) Each local school system may provide that all elementary schools in its school
system offer instruction in exploratory computer science; and
(F) Each state charter school that serves elementary school students may offer
instruction in exploratory computer science.
(2) Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, each local school system shall provide that
at least 50 percent of the high schools in its school system offer a course in computer
science.
(3) Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, each local school system shall provide that
all high schools in its school system offer a course in computer science.
(4)(A) Beginning in the 2031-2032 school year, each local board of education shall
require all students, as a condition of graduation from high school, to complete a course
in computer science or a career, technical, and agricultural education (CTAE) course
embedded with computer science which meets the requirements provided in
subparagraph (B) of this paragraph.
(B) The course required in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph may be earned by
students in any of grades eight through 12 and shall:
(i) Meet or exceed the content standards and any other requirements prescribed by
the State Board of Education for such courses;
(ii) Be made available in a traditional classroom setting, a blended learning
environment, or an online or other technology based format that is tailored to meet the
needs of each participating student; and
(iii) Not increase the number of credits required for graduation.
(C)(i) Except as provided in division (ii) of this subparagraph, a full-credit computer
science course that meets the requirements provided in subparagraph (B) of this
paragraph shall be eligible to satisfy the course required in subparagraph (A) of this
paragraph and one unit of credit graduation requirement for one of the following:
(I) One unit of math credit; provided, however, that such unit of credit shall not be
a substitute for Algebra: Concepts and Connections or its equivalent, Geometry:
Concepts and Connections or its equivalent, or Advanced Algebra: Concepts and
Connections or its equivalent;
(II) One unit of science credit; provided, however, that such unit of credit shall not
be a substitute for any biology or physical science requirements;
(III) One unit of CTAE credit;
(IV) One unit of Modern Language or Latin credit;
(V) One unit of Fine Arts credit; or
(VI) One unit of elective credit.
(ii) A student may be permitted to earn more than one unit of credit graduation
requirement by completing more than one computer science course that implements
a minimum course of instruction based on content standards prescribed by the State
Board of Education and which is separate and distinct from such other computer
science course completed by such student, and such student may be permitted to use
multiple units of credit to offset other graduation requirements as provided in this
subparagraph; provided, however, that a student shall not be permitted to offset more
than one unit of math credit and one unit of science credit; and, provided further, that
there shall be no limit to the number of offsets permitted for units of CTAE or elective
credits.
(D)(i) Except as provided in division (ii) of this subparagraph, a full-credit CTAE
course embedded with computer science that meets the requirements provided in
subparagraph (B) of this paragraph shall be eligible to satisfy the full-credit course
required in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph and one unit of credit graduation
requirement for one of the following:
(I) One unit of CTAE credit; or
(II) One unit of elective credit.
(ii) A student may be permitted to earn more than one unit of credit graduation
requirement by completing more than one CTAE course embedded with computer
science that implements a minimum course of instruction based on content standards
prescribed by the State Board of Education and which is separate and distinct from
such other computer science course completed by such student, and such student may
be permitted to use multiple units of credit to offset other graduation requirements as
provided in this subparagraph.
(E) The Department of Education shall establish, and the State Board of Education
shall approve, the minimum criteria by with a CTAE course embedded with computer
science may be approved.
(d) The Department of Education shall ensure that the Georgia Virtual School operated
pursuant to Code Section 20-2-319.1 has sufficient capacity to enable schools to utilize
computer science courses to meet the needs of such schools as a result of this Code section.
(e)(1) Subject to appropriations, grants shall be provided to eligible entities to deliver
professional development programs for teachers providing instruction in computer
science courses and content.
(2) Eligible entities shall include local school systems, consortia of local school systems,
local charter schools, state charter schools, and high-quality professional learning
providers working in partnership with local school systems.
(3) Criteria for grant awards to eligible entities pursuant to this subsection shall include:
(A) The number of teachers in a local school system that require training and the
number of teachers in a local school system that have already received training; and
(B) The willingness of local school systems to make available their teachers who have
received training in computer science courses and content to provide computer science
instruction in another local school system or systems.
(4) The Department of Education shall submit a report on December 1 of each year to
the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
chairperson of the Senate Education and Youth Committee, and the chairperson of the
House Committee on Education. Such report shall include the number of teachers
trained, the number of schools offering training, the number of students served and the
demographics of such students, and a list of the eligible entities that provided the
training."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia Senate bill would make computer science a high school graduation requirement starting in the 2031-2032 school year, letting some computer science or CTAE courses count toward other credit requirements like math, science, or electives.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law currently requires most high schools to offer a computer science course, but students are not required to take one to graduate. This bill changes that. Beginning in the 2031-2032 school year, every local school board would have to require students to complete a computer science course, or a career, technical, and agricultural education (CTAE) course that includes computer science, before graduating. Students could take the course anytime in grades eight through 12, in person, online, or through blended learning, and it would not add to the total number of credits needed to graduate.
The bill also lets a qualifying computer science course count both as the new graduation requirement and as credit toward one other subject area, such as math, science, CTAE, world language, fine arts, or electives, with some limits on math and science substitutions. It updates the law's legislative findings about why computer science matters and directs the Department of Education to keep supporting teacher training and reporting on the program's progress.
### What it does
- Requires all students, beginning with the 2031-2032 school year, to complete a computer science or computer science embedded CTAE course to graduate high school.
- Allows the required course to be taken in grades eight through 12 in a classroom, blended, or online format, without increasing total graduation credits.
- Lets a qualifying computer science course count as one unit of credit toward math, science, CTAE, world language, fine arts, or elective requirements, with restrictions on certain math and science courses.
- Lets a qualifying CTAE course embedded with computer science count toward CTAE or elective credit requirements.
- Directs the Department of Education and State Board of Education to set minimum criteria for approving CTAE courses embedded with computer science.
- Updates the law's findings section, removing outdated statistics about computer science course participation and job vacancies and revising language about the skills computer science teaches.
### Who it affects
Georgia public high school students starting with the 2031-2032 school year, local school boards and state charter schools that must offer and require the courses, high school and middle school teachers who deliver computer science instruction, and the Department of Education and State Board of Education, which set course standards and approve CTAE course criteria.
### Why it matters
Once the requirement takes effect, students would need to pass a computer science related course to earn a diploma, though the bill allows that course to double up for credit in another subject so it does not add extra coursework. This changes what counts as a required class statewide.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. ยง 20-2-149.3 to add a new graduation requirement effective in the 2031-2032 school year for computer science or CTAE courses embedded with computer science.
- The required course can be completed in grades eight through 12 and must meet State Board of Education content standards, without increasing the total credits needed to graduate.
- A qualifying full-credit computer science course can substitute for one unit of math, science, CTAE, modern language or Latin, fine arts, or elective credit, with exceptions barring substitution for specific required math and science courses.
- Students completing more than one distinct computer science course may use multiple credits to offset other requirements, but no more than one math and one science credit can be offset this way.
- CTAE courses embedded with computer science can similarly satisfy the graduation requirement plus one CTAE or elective credit, with no stated limit on multiple offsets.
- The Department of Education must set, and the State Board of Education must approve, minimum criteria for approving CTAE courses embedded with computer science.
- The bill revises the law's legislative findings, removing prior statistics about low course-taking rates and unfilled computer science jobs and adjusting language about critical thinking skills.
- Section 2 repeals conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-24)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2025-02-26)
- Sponsors: Clint Dixon, Jason Anavitarte, Max Burns, Marty Harbin, Billy Hickman, Shawn Still
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70775
> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb249.md?full=1