House · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session

HB972: HB972 Education; require written notice to parents and guardians of students in grades four through eight at least twice each school year stating whether such student has attained grade level reading proficiency

Last action January 16, 2026 · House Second Readers

A Georgia House bill would require public schools to tell parents at least twice a year whether their child in grades four through eight is reading at grade level.

In plain language

Georgia law does not currently require schools to regularly tell parents whether their child is reading at grade level. This bill would add a new section to the Quality Basic Education Act requiring local boards of education and other public school governing bodies to create a policy for notifying parents about their child's reading proficiency. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, schools would have to send written notice to the parent or guardian of every student in grades four through eight stating whether the student has reached grade level reading proficiency. This notice would have to go out at least twice per school year. The bill repeals any conflicting laws but does not specify how proficiency should be measured or what the notice must otherwise contain.

What the bill does

Adds a new Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-153.2) requiring written parent notification about a student's reading proficiency.
Requires local boards of education and other public school governing bodies to develop and implement a formal policy for this notice.
Applies the requirement to students enrolled in grades four through eight only.
Sets a minimum frequency of at least twice per school year for the written notice.
Starts the requirement with the 2026-2027 school year, giving schools time to set up policies before enforcement begins.

Who it affects

Parents and guardians of students in grades four through eight in Georgia public schools, local boards of education and other public school governing bodies that must create and carry out the notification policy, and school staff responsible for tracking and reporting reading proficiency.

Why it matters

Parents would get formal, written updates on whether their child is reading at grade level, information they might otherwise learn only informally or not at all. Schools would need new tracking and notification systems to meet the twice-a-year requirement.

Key provisions

Section 1 adds new Code section 20-2-153.2 to Part 3 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20, within the Quality Basic Education Act.
The new section requires each local board of education and other public school governing body to develop and implement a written notice policy for grades four through eight.
The notice must state whether the student has attained grade level reading proficiency and must be sent no less than twice each school year.
The requirement begins with the 2026-2027 school year.
Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws in conflict with the Act.

From the bill

“each local board of edu cation and other public13 school governing body shall develop and implement a policy to provide written notice to14 the parent or guardian of each student enrolled in grades four through eight stating whether15”
This is the core requirement forcing schools to create a reading proficiency notification policy for grades four through eight.

Status timeline

2026-01-16House Second Readers (House)
2026-01-15House First Readers (House)
2026-01-14House Hopper (House)

Topics

reading proficiency
parent notification
public schools
K-8 education
Quality Basic Education Act