Georgia CommonsSR 257: Charter Schools Day; recognize February 26, 2025
Last action February 26, 2025 · Senate Read and Adopted
A Senate resolution recognizes February 26, 2025, as Charter Schools Day at the Georgia state capitol, honoring charter school students, teachers, and leaders across the state.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution 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
This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate, not a change to state law. It declares February 26, 2025 as Charter Schools Day at the state capitol, citing Georgia's history of charter schools since 1993 and noting that 96 charter schools currently operate across all 159 counties, serving about 65,000 students. The resolution cites a Stanford University study finding charter school students gained more learning days in reading and math compared to peers in traditional public schools. It also notes 21,000 students remain on charter school wait lists. The resolution directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies to the Georgia Charter Schools Association, the public, and the press.
What the bill does
- Formally recognizes February 26, 2025, as Charter Schools Day at the Georgia state capitol.
- Commends teachers and leaders working in Georgia's charter schools.
- Cites statistics on charter school enrollment, performance, and wait lists to support the recognition.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the Georgia Charter Schools Association, the public, and the press.
Who it affects
Charter school students, teachers, and administrators across Georgia's 159 counties, the Georgia Charter Schools Association, and members of the public who may receive distributed copies of the resolution.
Why it matters
The resolution carries no legal force or funding but publicly acknowledges the role of charter schools in Georgia's education system, drawing attention to enrollment numbers, wait lists, and research on student performance discussed in the text.
Key provisions
- The resolution recites background facts, including that Georgia's charter school law dates to 1993 and that 96 charter schools now operate statewide.
- Cites a Stanford University study finding charter school students gained an average of 16 extra days of learning in reading and six in math.
- Formally resolves that the Senate recognizes February 26, 2025 as Charter Schools Day at the state capitol.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the Georgia Charter Schools Association, the public, and the press.
From the bill
“charter schools are tuition-free, public schools that have fair and open enrollment procedures and serve students and families in all 159 counties in Georgia”
“additional charter school seats are needed to serve the 21,000 students who currently appear on charter school wait lists in Georgia”
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)
- Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)
- Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)
- Sam Watson (R, SD-011)
- Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
Topics
- charter schools
- education
- public schools
- school choice