SB 475: Charter School Funding; local boards of education to treat local charter schools no less favorably than other local schools; expenditure of the proceeds of a special purpose local option sales tax; require

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Discussed in meetings (15)

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.

1. Senate Education and Youth Committee, February 23, 2026

   From 1:00:05 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 475 would require districts to treat locally approved charter schools no less favorably when allocating education sales tax proceeds. The sponsor cited Atlanta's allocation of $32 million from $546 million to local charters, compared with no charter allocations from $850 million and $1.1 billion in two other districts. The sponsor said the provision covered public buildings, not privately owned facilities, and excluded state-approved charters because of constitutional limits. Members questioned ownership, oversight and whether state charters with local attendance zones could qualify. A late substitute also proposed reducing petition signatures needed for a vote on dissolving an independent school system and joining a county system from 25% to 10% of qualified voters. The sponsor said voters would still decide the question. Legislative counsel described related sections as clarifying what happens after consolidation. One member proposed removing the three consolidation sections, returning to the original charter-funding bill. Another requested wording specifying locally approved charters. No amendment vote occurred. The chair postponed consideration until the next day for clarification, the motion to approve was withdrawn, and scheduled witnesses were asked to return.

2. Senate Education and Youth Committee, February 24, 2026

   From 0:19:08 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the substitute was unchanged from the previous hearing and explained that a charter school’s authorizing school system would be responsible for treating it no less favorably than traditional schools. One member proposed limiting the education sales tax provision to school-system-owned facilities. Another asked whether that would exclude newly purchased land or buildings. Legislative counsel revised the amendment to say districts would have no obligation to spend those proceeds purchasing or improving property owned by a charter school or another entity. The committee approved the amendment unanimously. A member also suggested using specific conditions to trigger a proposed reduction in a voter-petition threshold from 25% to 10%, rather than lowering it statewide, citing concerns about dissolving city school systems. The Senate president pro tempore supported 10%, saying collecting that many signatures remained difficult and would only trigger a referendum, not itself remove a school board. Asked about city districts spanning two counties, the sponsor said responsibility rests with the authorizing school system. The committee approved the amended bill with two votes against it; the total affirmative vote was not stated.

3. Senate Rules Committee, March 5, 2026

   From 0:32:04 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 475 would lower the petition threshold for school-district consolidation from 25 percent to 10 percent, updating a law from the 1920s. The sponsor also said it would ensure locally approved charter schools have access to their districts' education sales-tax funding. No substantive questions followed. The committee unanimously included the bill in the floor-calendar package.

4. Senate floor session, March 6, 2026 (legislative day 28, part 2)

   From 3:20:01 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Taken from Table)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the committee substitute would lower the petition threshold for a referendum on merging an independent school system into a county system from 25% to 10% of qualified voters. The sponsor emphasized that consolidation would still require voter approval. The sponsor also said local charter schools would receive treatment no less favorable than other local schools when education sales tax funds are distributed. A friendly amendment proposed removing committee-added language concerning spending on property not owned by the school district. The sponsor said that language could harm charter schools that own their buildings. One member asked how equal treatment would be measured and warned of possible lawsuits; the sponsor offered to work on clearer language. A second member questioned whether removing the restriction would require spending public money on property the district did not own. The sponsor maintained that districts would retain discretion. The amendment presenter withdrew the amendment, while offering to pursue changes in the House. Another supporter favored the lower petition threshold as a response to poorly managed independent systems. The Senate passed the committee substitute, 43-6.

5. House Education Committee, March 23, 2026

   From 1:35:20 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 475 would lower consolidation petition requirements from 25% to 10% and require local charter schools to receive no less favorable consideration for education sales tax facility spending. The sponsor cited an ExcelinEd analysis estimating a $2,400-per-student charter facility funding gap. Members questioned the petition threshold, county responsibility for consolidation debt, funding fairness and privately owned buildings. A Department of Education witness said consolidation debt would fall to the county district. The sponsor said the funding provision covers locally authorized, not state-authorized, charter schools. State Charter Schools Commission and Georgia Charter Schools Association witnesses supported it. Leaders from Tapestry Public Charter Schools and Utopian Academy for the Arts described facility needs and lack of sales tax funding. Legislative counsel explained that the substitute leaves districts free, but not obligated, to fund improvements in privately owned facilities. Two proposed restrictions on spending for such properties failed for lack of a second. A proposal to raise the petition threshold to 20% was withdrawn after counsel explained that conflicting bills would be governed by whichever was signed last. A member also requested charter-school cleanup language, but no amendment adding it was adopted. The committee approved the substitute 11 to 5.

6. House floor session, March 25, 2026 (legislative day 37, PM)

   From 2:47:21 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (House Withdrawn, Recommitted)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: A member moved to withdraw the charter school funding bill from the calendar and return it to the Rules Committee. The House agreed without objection. No substantive discussion of the bill occurred.

7. House Rules Committee, March 25, 2026

   From 0:46:42 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 3209

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the substitute would lower the percentage needed to put a school district consolidation referendum on the ballot from 25% to 10%, while still requiring a citywide vote on consolidation. The sponsor also said it would require locally approved charter schools to receive treatment no less favorable than other local schools for education sales tax funding. The sponsor described charter schools being left out of consideration for funded projects as the problem this provision addressed. No questions were asked. The committee later added the bill to the supplemental calendar by voice vote over voiced opposition. No vote count was announced.

8. House Rules Committee, April 2, 2026

   From 1:02:46 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter said added language in the substitute for SB 475 would require a local charter school that stops operating to reimburse the school system for the money the system invested in that school. No questions were asked. The committee approved the substitute and later placed it on the floor calendar under the modified structured rule, both without stated opposition.

9. House floor session, April 2, 2026 (legislative day 40, AM)

   From 2:32:15 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The majority leader moved to withdraw SB 475, concerning charter school funding, from the floor calendar and return it to the Rules Committee. The House approved the motion without objection. There was no discussion of the bill's provisions.

• Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 9, 2026 (legislative day 15), 0:23:47
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 25, 2026 (legislative day 24), 0:33:04
• Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 26, 2026 (legislative day 25), 0:28:55
• Read aloud: House floor session, March 9, 2026 (legislative day 29), 0:54:14
• Read aloud: House floor session, March 10, 2026 (legislative day 30), 0:43:32
• Read aloud: House floor session, March 25, 2026 (legislative day 37, AM), 0:41:44

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