HB1253: HB1253 Georgia Charter School Facilities Authority; establish

Georgia's traditional public school districts already have ways to finance construction, but charter schools have had fewer state-backed financing tools. This bill sets up a new state authority, the Georgia Charter School Facilities Authority, housed administratively within the Department of Education, to make loans and offer other financial and technical help to qualified charter school organizations for building, renovating, or repairing their facilities. The authority would be run by 15 members, including several state officials and appointees of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor's chamber (President of the Senate), and Speaker of the House. It could make loans up to 20 percent of a project's cost or $2 million (whichever is less), or up to $200,000 for renovation projects, generally limited to five-year terms or the school's charter length. The bill also amends the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-17-21 and related sections) so the state can issue general obligation bonds to fund educational facilities for charter schools, similar to how it funds facilities for county and independent school systems.

• Creates the Georgia Charter School Facilities Authority as a new public corporation to help charter schools finance construction and renovation projects.
• Authorizes the new authority to make loans, loan guarantees, and technical assistance available to qualified charter school organizations, including a revolving loan fund.
• Caps loans at the lesser of 20 percent of a project's cost or $2 million, and at $200,000 for renovation or modernization projects.
• Limits loan terms to five years or the length of the school's current charter agreement, whichever comes first.
• Amends the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-17-21, § 50-17-22, § 50-17-24, § 50-17-27) to let the state issue general obligation bonds for charter school facilities.
• Grants the authority power to withhold state funds from a charter school organization that fails to repay amounts owed on its loans.

Charter schools and the qualified charter school organizations that run them, the Department of Education and State Board of Education, the State Charter Schools Commission, the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission, and state officials such as the Governor, Lieutenant Governor's chamber, and Speaker of the House who appoint authority members.

Charter schools would gain a dedicated state financing tool, similar to what traditional school districts already use, to build or fix classrooms and facilities. This could change how quickly charter schools can expand or maintain buildings, while creating a new public entity with borrowing and bond-related powers backed indirectly through state fund withholding provisions.

• Section 1 adds a new Part 2 to O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2095 et seq. creating the Georgia Charter School Facilities Authority as a body corporate and politic assigned to the Department of Education for administration.
• The authority has 15 members: six ex officio state officials and nine appointed by the Governor, President of the Senate, and Speaker of the House, serving staggered four-year terms after initial terms ending in 2028 or 2030.
• O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2095.22 gives the authority broad powers including making loans, entering leases, issuing loan guarantees, creating subsidiary nonprofit corporations, and adopting rules, but explicitly denies it eminent domain power.
• O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2095.23 caps loans at the lesser of 20 percent of project cost or $2 million (or $200,000 for renovation projects) and limits loan terms to five years or the charter's remaining term.
• O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2095.27 specifies that authority debts are not backed by the state's full faith and credit, so state taxpayers are not directly obligated for the authority's debts.
• O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2095.31 lets the authority direct the state treasurer to withhold state funds from a charter school organization that defaults on its loan payments.
• Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 50-17-21 to redefine 'general obligation debt' to include debt issued for charter school educational facilities.
• Sections 3 through 5 amend O.C.G.A. § 50-17-22, § 50-17-24, and § 50-17-27 to extend the state's existing bond financing and investment framework to cover charter school facilities.

1. 2026-02-11House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-10House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-09House Hopper (House)

• Kasey Carpenter (R, HD-004)Primary sponsor
• Jan Jones (R, HD-047)
• Robert Dickey (R, HD-134)
• Noel Williams (R, HD-148)
• Scott Hilton (R, HD-048)
• Bethany Ballard (R, HD-147)

• charter schools
• school facilities financing
• education funding
• state bonds
• public school construction