HR1348: HR1348 School superintendent; qualifications, duties, and salary shall be established by the board of education and elected by voters; provide - CA

Currently, Georgia's Constitution requires that each local school system's superintendent be appointed by the local board of education, which also sets the superintendent's qualifications, duties, and salary under state law. This resolution proposes amending Article VIII, Section V, Paragraph III of the Constitution to keep that appointment system as the default while adding a new option. Under the change, the General Assembly could pass a local law allowing a school system's superintendent to be elected directly by voters in that system's territory instead of appointed by the board. That option would only take effect if a majority of qualified voters in the local school system approve it in a referendum. Because this is a constitutional amendment, it must also be approved statewide by Georgia voters in a referendum before it can take effect, with the ballot language spelled out in Section 2 of the resolution.

• Proposes amending Article VIII, Section V, Paragraph III of the Georgia Constitution to keep board-appointed school superintendents as the standard arrangement.
• Would let the General Assembly pass a local law allowing a school system to instead elect its superintendent by popular vote.
• Requires that any switch to an elected superintendent be approved by a majority of qualified voters in that local school system's own referendum.
• Confirms that the board of education continues to set the superintendent's qualifications, duties, and salary as provided by general law.
• Sends the constitutional amendment itself to a statewide vote, with specific ballot language written into the resolution.

Local boards of education, current and future school superintendents, and voters within individual Georgia school systems who could gain the option to elect their superintendent directly, plus the statewide electorate that must ratify the constitutional change itself.

If ratified, some Georgia communities could shift from having school superintendents chosen by appointed board members to having them elected directly by local voters, but only where that community's own voters approve the switch in a local referendum, changing how accountable superintendents are to the public.

• Section 1 revises Article VIII, Section V, Paragraph III so the board of education continues to set the superintendent's qualifications, duties, and salary under general law.
• Section 1 authorizes the General Assembly to pass local laws letting voters elect the school superintendent instead of having the board appoint one.
• Section 1 conditions any such local law on approval by a majority of qualified voters in a referendum within that specific school system.
• Section 2 sets the exact statewide ballot question voters would see when deciding whether to ratify this constitutional amendment.

1. 2026-02-24House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
2. 2026-02-18House Second Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-17House First Readers (House)
4. 2026-02-12House Hopper (House)

• Alan Powell (R, HD-033)Primary sponsor
• David Wilkerson (D, HD-038)
• Trey Kelley (R, HD-016)
• Lydia Glaize (D, HD-067)
• Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)
• Rick Jasperse (R, HD-011)

• school superintendents
• constitutional amendment
• local school boards
• education governance
• ballot referendum