Georgia CommonsSB 601: Atlanta Board of Education; residency limitations on qualifications for employment of the executive assistant to the board, chief financial officer, and internal auditor; remove
Last action May 12, 2026 · Effective Date 2026-05-12
A Georgia Senate bill would remove residency requirements for three top Atlanta Public Schools administrative positions and change how they are hired, supervised, and evaluated.
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 Enrolled version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
The Atlanta Independent School System operates under a special state law from 2003 that sets rules for how the Atlanta Board of Education runs the district. That law previously required certain top staff, the executive assistant to the board, the chief financial officer, and the internal auditor, to live within certain residency limits to qualify for the jobs. This bill rewrites the sections covering those three positions. It removes the residency qualification requirement entirely. It also changes how the positions are filled: each would be appointed and, if needed, removed by the superintendent with the board's advice and consent, rather than solely by the board. The bill spells out duties for each role, including the chief financial officer's bonding and experience requirements and the internal auditor's audit powers and duty to report fraud to the ethics commission, and requires the superintendent and board to jointly set performance goals for the executive assistant and internal auditor.
What the bill does
- Removes residency requirements that previously limited who could qualify for the executive assistant, chief financial officer, and internal auditor positions at Atlanta Public Schools.
- Changes the hiring and removal process so the superintendent appoints and removes these three officials, subject to the board's advice and consent.
- Requires the superintendent and board to jointly set performance goals for the executive assistant and internal auditor, with the board having significant input on evaluations.
- Requires the chief financial officer to have at least ten years of progressive fiscal management experience, waivable by a three-fourths board vote, and to post a bond.
- Requires the internal auditor to be a certified internal auditor or certified public accountant with at least ten years of relevant experience and lists specific audit duties, including referring board member fraud to the ethics commission.
- Guarantees the board direct access to the executive assistant and internal auditor and requires internal audit reports to be available for public inspection.
Who it affects
The Atlanta Board of Education, the Atlanta Public Schools superintendent, and the district's executive assistant to the board, chief financial officer, and internal auditor. It also affects school system employees and contractors who must give the internal auditor access to records, and members of the public who can inspect audit reports and board minutes.
Why it matters
By dropping residency limits, more candidates from outside the district's residency zone become eligible for these three key jobs. Shifting hiring and removal authority to the superintendent, subject to board approval, changes the balance of power over who runs the district's finances and internal oversight.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises Section 2-112 so the superintendent appoints and removes the executive assistant to the board with the board's advice and consent, and requires jointly set performance goals.
- Section 2 revises Section 4-101 to have the superintendent appoint and remove the chief financial officer, require a bond, and set a ten-year fiscal management experience requirement waivable by a three-fourths board vote.
- Section 3 revises Section 4-102 to have the superintendent appoint and remove the internal auditor, require certification and ten years of experience, and detail audit powers, duties, and confidentiality rules.
- Section 3 also requires the internal auditor to refer suspected fraud or abuse by a board member to the ethics commission and make audit reports available for public inspection.
- Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“An executive assistant to the board shall be appointed and, if necessary, removed by the superintendent with the advice and consent of the board.”
“If fraud or abuse by a board member is present, the matter shall be put before the ethics commission;”
“Any reports issued by the internal auditor shall be made available for public inspection or copying at a reasonable cost."”
Status timeline
- Effective Date 2026-05-12
- Act 700
- Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
- Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
Show full history (13 actions)
- House First Readers (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Sonya Halpern (D, SD-039)
- Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)
- RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)
- Elena Parent (D, SD-044)
- Josh McLaurin (D, SD-014)
- Sally Harrell (D, SD-040)
- Jaha Howard (D, SD-035)
- Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)
Votes
- Senate voteMarch 6, 2026
49 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 3 absent)
- House voteApril 2, 2026
94 yea, 75 nay (2 not voting, 5 absent)
Topics
- Atlanta Public Schools
- school board governance
- residency requirements
- internal auditing
- school district finance