--- title: SR 224. Ben Hill County School District; congratulate collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr224 cite_as: SR 224, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr224 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr224.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr224/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70562 date: 2025-02-20 status: passed 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr223.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr225.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr224.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 224 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-20 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Billy Hickman - Carden Summers text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR224/2025 upstream_id: 1976272 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - literacy programs - Ben Hill County - education awards - Georgia Senate resolutions --- # SR 224. Ben Hill County School District; congratulate ## Text Senate Resolution 224 By: Senators Hickman of the 4th and Summers of the 13th A RESOLUTION Congratulating and commending the Ben Hill County School District, recipient of the Georgia Reads Community Award, for its dedication to literacy advancement; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the Georgia Council on Literacy is dedicated to improving literacy from birth through adulthood and recognizes that communities play a critical role in addressing low literacy rates; and WHEREAS, the Georgia Reads Community Award was established to recognize communities across Georgia that have formed partnerships of two or more organizations, sustained for at least three years, with a strategic plan and measurable results in literacy improvement; and WHEREAS, the Ben Hill County School District is a recipient of the Georgia Reads Community Award for its collaborative efforts to address barriers that students face, such as poverty, lack of resources, and academic challenges; and WHEREAS, Communities in Schools collaborates with the Ben Hill County School District to place site coordinators within schools to build relationships with students and families, offering mentorship, counseling, and academic support; and WHEREAS, its meaningful partnerships include the Ben Hill County School District, Communities in Schools, L4GA, CLCP, Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Chamber of Commerce, Dorminy Medical Center, the Monitor Enrichment Program, civic organizations, PTO, and numerous private businesses and industries in Fitzgerald and Ben Hill County, demonstrating a strong commitment to literacy development through community collaboration; and WHEREAS, the Ben Hill County School District and its partners have diligently developed and implemented innovative programs that have increased literacy rates within their communities; and WHEREAS, these initiatives have led to measurable improvements in reading proficiency, ensuring greater opportunities for success in education and career development; and WHEREAS, the dedication and hard work of the Ben Hill County School District and its partners serve as an inspiration to others, demonstrating the power of community-driven solutions to address literacy challenges. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body congratulate and commend the Georgia Reads Community Award recipients, particularly the Ben Hill County School District, for their exemplary service and unwavering commitment to improving literacy in their communities. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the Ben Hill County School District. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Senate resolution congratulates the Ben Hill County School District for receiving the Georgia Reads Community Award for its work improving literacy through community partnerships. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate, not a change to state law. It recognizes the Ben Hill County School District as a recipient of the Georgia Reads Community Award, given by the Georgia Council on Literacy to communities that build sustained partnerships to improve literacy. The resolution describes how the school district worked with groups like Communities in Schools, L4GA, the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Chamber of Commerce, Dorminy Medical Center, and local businesses to support students facing poverty and academic challenges, resulting in improved reading proficiency. The Senate formally congratulates the district and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to the school district. ### What it does - Formally congratulates and commends the Ben Hill County School District for receiving the Georgia Reads Community Award. - Recites the district's literacy partnerships with organizations such as Communities in Schools, L4GA, and local businesses. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to the Ben Hill County School District. - Creates no new law, funding, or ongoing program; it is a symbolic statement of recognition by the Senate. ### Who it affects The Ben Hill County School District and its partner organizations, including Communities in Schools, the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Chamber of Commerce, Dorminy Medical Center, and local civic groups and businesses in Fitzgerald and Ben Hill County, are named and recognized in this resolution. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or financial effect but serves as an official statement from the Georgia Senate recognizing a local school district's literacy efforts, which may boost community morale and public visibility for the partnership programs described. ### Key provisions - The preamble explains the Georgia Reads Community Award, which requires partnerships of two or more organizations sustained for at least three years with measurable literacy results. - The resolved clause has the Senate congratulate and commend the Ben Hill County School District for its literacy efforts. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute a copy of the resolution to the school district. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-20) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-02-20) - Sponsors: Billy Hickman, Carden Summers - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70562 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr224.md?full=1