Georgia CommonsSB 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
Comm Sub version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action April 2, 2026 · Engrossed
The text as LegiScan holds it, read from the PDF the legislature publishes with its margin line numbers, running heads, and page footers removed. Line breaks are joined into paragraphs here; no word is changed.
Underlined words are what the bill adds to current law and struck-through words are what it removes, as the printed bill shows them.
The House Committee on Education offers the following substitute to SB 475:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary education, so as to provide that a petition signed by 10 percent of the qualified voters in an independent school system shall be required in order to hold an election to determine whether to annul the special law of the independent school system so that it becomes a part of the respective county school system or systems in which the territory of the independent school system is located; to repeal outdated terms and provisions; to make conforming changes; to require local boards of education to treat local charter schools no less favorably than other local schools with respect to the expenditure of the proceeds of a special purpose local option sales tax for education; to provide for an effective date; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary education, is amended in Article 8, relating to consolidation of independent and county school systems, by revising Code Section 20-2-370, relating to referendum on repeal of special school law and consolidation of systems, as follows:
"20-2-370.
Whenever the citizens of a municipality or qualified voters of the territory included in an independent school system district authorized by law to establish and maintain a system of schools by local taxation in whole or in part are operating a system of public schools independent of the county school system and wish to annul their special school the local law establishing such independent school system and become a part of the each respective county school system in which such territory is located, they shall present and file with the governing authority of the city in which such independent school system is located a petition signed by one-fourth 10 percent of the qualified voters of their the territory included in the independent school system; and the such governing authority shall then submit the question at an election to be held in accordance with Chapter 2 of Title 21. A majority of those voting shall be necessary to carry the election. Only qualified voters residing within the municipality or district territory included in the independent school system for six months prior to the election shall vote. An election shall not be held for the same purpose more often than every 12 months."
SECTION 2.
Said chapter is further amended in said article by revising Code Section 20-2-371, relating to proceedings when vote favors repeal and consolidation, as follows:
"20-2-371.
When the results of an election held under Code Section 20-2-370 are declared and published in favor of repealing such independent school system, making the territory included in the independent school system thereby to become a part of the each respective county school system in which such territory is located, such independent or local school system shall continue to function under its local laws, organizations, and regulations until the each respective county board of education shall arrange for the operation by them of such school or schools within the local independent school system as a part of their public each respective county school system in which such territory is located."
SECTION 3.
Said chapter is further amended in said article by revising Code Section 20-2-372, relating to effect of repeal and consolidation, as follows:
"20-2-372.
Where any local or independent school system is repealed by and in the manner provided for in Code Sections 20-2-370 and 20-2-371, the territory formerly included in such independent school system shall become and constitute a school district part of the each county school system in which it such territory is located and shall enjoy the same privileges and shall be governed by the same laws as other school districts in the existing parts of such county school system or systems, including the authority to levy local taxes for school purposes; provided, however, that the rate for such taxation shall not exceed the rate allowed by law to other similar school districts."
SECTION 4.
Said chapter is further amended in Article 31, the "Charter Schools Act of 1998," by adding a new subsection to Code Section 20-2-2068.1, relating to charter school funding, to read as follows:
"(c.4) A local board of education shall treat a local charter school no less favorably than other local schools within the applicable local school system with respect to the expenditure of the proceeds of a sales tax for educational purposes authorized by Article VIII, Section VI, Paragraph IV of the Constitution of Georgia; provided, however, that a local school system shall have no obligation to expend proceeds of such sales tax for the purchase or improvement of property or facilities owned by any entity other than the local school system or a local charter school."
SECTION 5.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval.
SECTION 6.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.