HB1257: HB1257 Education; incentive grants for local boards of education to approve charter school petitions; revise provisions

Georgia currently pays local school boards incentive grants for approving new local charter school petitions, with the State Charter Schools Commission overseeing the program. This bill shifts that oversight to the State Board of Education, keeps the $250,000 per year grant amount for up to three years per approved charter school, moves the payment deadline from August 1 to September 1, and keeps the $2.25 million annual cap. It also changes who reports to whom within the Office of Charter School Compliance, exempts certain public entities from the nonprofit-organization requirement for charter petitioners, and expands the office's duties to include publishing evaluation guidelines and a standardized rubric for local boards reviewing charter petitions. The bill also updates rules for existing charter schools that want to convert to state charter status, clarifies definitions of a charter school's governing board, and shortens how long a former charter operator must retain school records after closing, from one year to 180 days before turning them over to the State Charter Schools Commission.

• Transfers authority over the local charter school incentive grant program from the State Charter Schools Commission to the State Board of Education.
• Keeps the $250,000 annual incentive grant for local boards approving new charter petitions but moves the payment deadline from August 1 to September 1 each year.
• Adds an exemption from the nonprofit incorporation requirement for charter petitioners that are local schools, local school systems, or other state or local public entities.
• Expands the Office of Charter School Compliance's duties to include publishing charter evaluation guidelines and a standardized rubric for local boards on the Department of Education's website.
• Shortens the period a former state charter school operator must keep student and school records after closing from one year to 180 days before transferring them to the commission.
• Clarifies that the governing board of a state charter school's nonprofit operator must be the same board that governs the school itself.

Local boards of education that authorize charter schools, the State Board of Education and Office of Charter School Compliance, the State Charter Schools Commission, nonprofit organizations that operate state charter schools, existing charter schools considering conversion to state charter status, and students whose records are affected when a charter school closes.

Local school boards that approve new charter schools would still receive grant money to help pay for oversight duties, but the September payment date and shifted state-level authority could change how quickly funds arrive and who sets the rules. The shorter records-retention window means closed charter schools' student records move to state control sooner.

• Section 1 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2064.2 so the State Board of Education, not the State Charter Schools Commission, runs the incentive grant program, and moves the payment deadline to September 1; the $250,000 grant, three-year duration, and $2.25 million annual cap remain unchanged.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2065(b)(4) to exempt local schools, local school systems, or other state or local public entities from the requirement that charter petitioners be nonprofit corporations.
• Section 3 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2069(a) to have the Office of Charter School Compliance report to the State Board of Education and adds duties including publishing evaluation guidelines, best practices, public hearing procedures, and a standardized rubric for local boards reviewing charter petitions.
• Section 4 updates the definition of 'governing board' in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2081 for state charter schools.
• Section 5 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2085 on how existing charter schools can petition to become state charter schools, including rules on rescinding local charters and continued use of facilities.
• Section 6 shortens the records retention period in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2088.1 from one year to 180 days for a closed state charter school's former operator before records transfer to the commission.
• Section 7 repeals all conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-06House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2026-02-11House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-10House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-02-09House Hopper (House)

• Carmen Rice (R, HD-139)Primary sponsor
• Scott Hilton (R, HD-048)
• Sandy Donatucci (R, HD-105)
• Bethany Ballard (R, HD-147)

• charter schools
• education funding
• school boards
• education policy