--- title: SR 774. Charter Schools Day; recognize February 25, 2026 collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr774 cite_as: SR 774, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr774 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr774.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr774/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73231 date: 2026-02-17 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/sr773.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr775.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr774.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 774 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-17 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Chuck Payne - Billy Hickman - Shawn Still - Steve Gooch - Larry Walker - Jason Anavitarte - Bo Hatchett text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR774/2025 upstream_id: 2116222 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - charter schools - public education - school enrollment - Georgia legislature ceremonial resolutions --- # SR 774. Charter Schools Day; recognize February 25, 2026 ## Text Senate Resolution 774 By: Senators Payne of the 54th, Hickman of the 4th, Still of the 48th, Gooch of the 51st, Walker III of the 20th and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing February 25, 2026, as Charter Schools Day at the state capitol; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Georgia's first charter school law was enacted in 1993, and there are currently 96 charter schools operating in communities throughout the state; and WHEREAS, 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; and WHEREAS, a recent national study of charter school performance conducted by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University found that students in charter schools outperformed their peers in traditional public schools by an average of 16 additional days of learning in reading and six additional days of learning in math; and WHEREAS, the members of this body commend the dedicated teachers and leaders serving in Georgia's charter schools and celebrate the 65,000 public school students enrolled in charter schools throughout the state; and WHEREAS, additional charter school seats are needed to serve the 21,000 students who currently appear on charter school wait lists in Georgia. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize February 25, 2026, as Charter Schools Day at the state capitol. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the Georgia Charter Schools Association, the public, and the press. ## 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 designates February 25, 2026 as Charter Schools Day at the state capitol, recognizing the state's charter public schools and their students and teachers. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate, not a change to state law. It formally recognizes February 25, 2026 as Charter Schools Day at the state capitol, honoring Georgia's charter schools, which are tuition-free public schools with open enrollment that operate in all 159 counties. The resolution cites background facts, including that Georgia's first charter school law passed in 1993, that 96 charter schools currently operate in the state, and that about 65,000 students attend them. It also notes a Stanford University study finding charter school students gained more learning days than peers in traditional public schools, and it mentions 21,000 students 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 it does - Formally recognizes February 25, 2026 as Charter Schools Day at the Georgia state capitol. - Commends teachers and leaders working in Georgia's charter schools without creating any new legal requirement. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the Georgia Charter Schools Association, the public, and the press. - Cites statistics on charter school enrollment, performance, and wait lists but does not change funding, enrollment rules, or charter school law. ### Who it affects Georgia's charter public schools, their teachers, leaders, and roughly 65,000 enrolled students, as well as families on charter school wait lists. The Georgia Charter Schools Association is named as a recipient of the resolution. ### Why it matters The resolution has no legal effect and changes no laws, funding, or school policies. Its practical impact is symbolic: it publicly recognizes charter schools for a day at the capitol and highlights enrollment and wait list figures that could inform future policy discussions. ### Key provisions - The preamble ('whereas' clauses) states background facts about Georgia charter schools, including the 1993 founding law and 96 currently operating schools. - Cites a Stanford University study reporting charter school students gained extra learning days compared to traditional public school peers. - The resolving clause formally designates February 25, 2026 as Charter Schools Day at the state capitol. - A further resolution directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies to the Georgia Charter Schools Association, the public, and the press. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-17) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-02-17) - Sponsors: Chuck Payne, Billy Hickman, Shawn Still, Steve Gooch, Larry Walker, Jason Anavitarte, Bo Hatchett - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73231 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr774.md?full=1