--- title: SR 369. Georgia Pre-K Week; recognize October 6-10, 2025 collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr369 cite_as: SR 369, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr369 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr369.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr369/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71255 date: 2025-03-11 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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/sr368.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr370.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr369.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 369 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-11 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Chuck Payne - Billy Hickman text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR369/2025 upstream_id: 1996845 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Pre-K education - early childhood education - Georgia Lottery funding - education recognition --- # SR 369. Georgia Pre-K Week; recognize October 6-10, 2025 ## Text 25 LC 112 3305 Senate Resolution 369 By: Senators Payne of the 54th and Hickman of the 4th A RESOLUTION Recognizing October 6-10, 2025, as Georgia Pre-K Week; and for other purposes.1 WHEREAS, Georgia's Pre-K Program was started by Governor Zell Miller in 1992 as a pilot2 program serving 750 students and now provides quality early education experiences to more3 than half of the state's four-year-old children; and4 WHEREAS, Georgia's Pre-K Program has been formally administered statewide by the5 Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning since 2004; and6 WHEREAS, the Georgia Lottery Corporation has appropriated more than $9 billion for the7 Georgia Pre-K Program, prepar ing more than 2.2 million Georgia children for success in8 kindergarten and beyond since its inception; and9 WHEREAS, findings from the longitudinal study on Georgia's Pre-K conducted by the Frank10 Porter Graham Child Development Institute show that children in Georgia's Pre-K11 demonstrate significant gains across all learning domains, and these gains are sustained12 through the end of fourth grade; and13 S. R. 369 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3305 WHEREAS, multiple studies of Pre-K programs, including Georgia' s Pre-K, show that14 participation in Pre-K can greatly improve school readiness skills, particularly for high-risk15 populations; and16 WHEREAS, Georgia's Pre-K Program has recognized two outstanding educators—one from17 a public school system and one from a private child care center—as Georgia's Pre-K Program18 Teachers of the Year for 2024-2025: Elizabeth Arthur from Lincoln County Elementary in19 Lincolnton and Rachel Robertson from Oconee Preschool Academy in Watkinsville; and20 WHEREAS, Georgia's Pre-K Program is ranked ninth best in the nation for access to Pre-K21 for four-year-olds; and22 WHEREAS, there is a growing commitment to improving the quality of child care in23 Georgia, with more than half of Georgia's Pre-K programs participating in Quality Rated, the24 voluntary quality improvement system for child care programs; and25 WHEREAS, the House Working Group on Early Childhood Education was appointed during26 the 2023 Legislative Session to determine ways in which the system of Pre-K education in27 Georgia could be improved; and28 WHEREAS, the working group's recommendations include specific areas in need of change29 to make the Pre-K program more accessible and effective, such as restoring class sizes to 2030 students, increasing salaries for assistant teachers, providing pay parity between Pre-K and31 K-12 teachers, increasing operating funds for Pre-K programs, counting Pre-K enrollment32 in entitlement earnings for public school systems, and ensuring equivalent lease payments33 for private Pre-K providers; and34 S. R. 369 - 2 - 25 LC 112 3305 WHEREAS, Georgia Pre-K programs serve more than 73,000 children annually in35 approximately 3,700 classrooms operating in all 159 counties in Georgia; and36 WHEREAS, Voices for Georgia's Children and the Georgia Department of Early Care and37 Learning will host Georgia Pre-K Week for the 15th consecutive year during the first full38 week of October.39 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body40 recognize October 6-10, 2025, as Georgia Pre-K Week; thank the hundreds of programs,41 teachers, aides, and staff who have built a nationally recogniz ed Pre-K program and other42 high-quality early education programs; and encourage parents, e ducators, community43 members, and business leaders to participate in Georgia Pre-K W eek and support44 high-quality, accessible, and affordable early education for all children in the great State of45 Georgia.46 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed47 to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for di stribution to Voices for48 Georgia's Children.49 S. R. 369 - 3 - ## 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 Georgia Senate resolution recognizes October 6-10, 2025 as Georgia Pre-K Week, honoring the state's lottery funded Pre-K Program and the teachers and staff who run it. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia Senate rather than a change to state law. It recognizes October 6-10, 2025 as Georgia Pre-K Week, marking the 15th year that Voices for Georgia's Children and the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning have hosted the observance during the first full week of October. The resolution recounts the history of Georgia's Pre-K Program, started in 1992 under Governor Zell Miller, and notes it has been funded by more than $9 billion from the Georgia Lottery Corporation, serving over 2.2 million children since it began. It references a study showing lasting learning gains for participants, cites recommendations from a House working group on improving the program, and thanks the teachers, aides, and staff involved. It directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy to Voices for Georgia's Children. ### What it does - Formally recognizes October 6-10, 2025 as Georgia Pre-K Week in Georgia. - Thanks the teachers, aides, and staff who work in Georgia's Pre-K Program and other early education programs. - Encourages parents, educators, community members, and business leaders to participate in Georgia Pre-K Week. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to Voices for Georgia's Children. - Does not create, fund, or change any Georgia program or law; it is a symbolic statement rather than binding legislation. ### Who it affects The resolution mainly touches Georgia's Pre-K Program, its teachers and staff, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, and the nonprofit Voices for Georgia's Children, along with the roughly 73,000 children and their families who participate in Pre-K programs statewide. ### Why it matters Because this is a ceremonial resolution, it does not change funding, staffing, or rules for Georgia's Pre-K Program. Its practical effect is public recognition of the program and its workers, along with encouragement for communities to take part in Pre-K Week events. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses describe the history of Georgia's Pre-K Program since 1992 and its statewide administration by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning since 2004. - It notes more than $9 billion in Georgia Lottery Corporation funding has supported over 2.2 million children in the program. - It cites a longitudinal study by the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute finding sustained learning gains through fourth grade. - It references recommendations from the House Working Group on Early Childhood Education, such as restoring class sizes to 20 students and increasing assistant teacher salaries. - The resolving clause designates October 6-10, 2025 as Georgia Pre-K Week and thanks Pre-K educators and staff. - A further resolution clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide a copy to Voices for Georgia's Children. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-11) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-03-11) - Sponsors: Chuck Payne, Billy Hickman - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71255 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr369.md?full=1