SR 553: Senate Study Committee on Funding for Charter School Capital Improvements; create

Senate Resolution 553

By: Senators Halpern of the 39th, Jones II of the 22nd, Dixon of the 45th, Kemp of the 38th and Parent of the 44th

ADOPTED SENATE

A RESOLUTION

Creating the Senate Study Committee on Funding for Charter School Capital Improvements; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, locally approved charter schools are an integral part of Georgia's public education system, providing diverse educational opportunities to students across this state; and

WHEREAS, access to adequate facilities and capital improvements is essential to ensuring that locally approved charter schools can provide high-quality learning environments; and

WHEREAS, traditional public schools have access to various funding sources, including state and local capital outlay funds, bond financing, and the Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E-SPLOST), while locally approved charter schools face challenges in securing comparable funding for capital improvements; and

WHEREAS, disparities in capital funding place undue financial burdens on locally approved charter schools, which often must rely on operating budgets, philanthropic contributions, or private financing to secure and maintain appropriate school facilities; and

WHEREAS, the lack of dedicated capital funding for locally approved charter schools hinders their ability to make long-term investments in infrastructure, address facility needs, and ensure equity in educational environments; and

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the State of Georgia to evaluate the current funding mechanisms for locally approved charter school capital improvements and explore policy solutions to address current disparities.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:

(1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Study Committee on Funding for Charter School Capital Improvements.

(2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the Senate. Three members shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and two members shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall designate a member of the committee as chairperson of the committee.

(3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs, issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate, including but not limited to the following:

(A) Reviewing current funding mechanisms for capital improvements in Georgia's public schools and assessing their impact on charter schools;

(B) Examining disparities in capital funding between charter schools and traditional public schools;

(C) Analyzing the challenges charter schools face in accessing state and local capital funding, including E-SPLOST, bond financing, and capital outlay grants;

(D) Gathering testimony from charter school leaders, education stakeholders, and financial experts to assess the impact of funding limitations; and

(E) Exploring potential policy solutions, including legislative and regulatory actions, to ensure equitable access to capital improvement funding for charter schools.

(4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee; provided, however, that the chairperson shall call no more than four meetings of the committee. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.

(5) Allowances and funding. The members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds appropriated to the Senate.

(6) Report.

(A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.

(B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.

(C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee. A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with the Secretary of the Senate.

(D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.

(7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2026.