SB619: SB619 Board of Education of Hancock County; the description of the education districts; change

Hancock County elects its school board members from four education districts, with the chairperson elected countywide. This bill amends the 1993 law (as amended in 2013) that set up those districts by replacing the old district boundary descriptions with new ones based on the 2020 U.S. Census. The new boundaries are laid out block by block in an attached map appendix called 'HancockCCSB-2025.' The bill defines technical census terms like 'VTD' (voting precinct) and explains how to handle areas not clearly assigned to a district or that end up non-contiguous with their assigned district, folding them into the nearest lower-population neighboring district. Current board members keep serving out their existing terms under the newly described districts, which keep the same numbers (1 through 4) they had before. All conflicting laws are repealed.

• Replaces the boundary descriptions for Hancock County's four school board education districts with new lines based on the 2020 census.
• Adds definitions for census terms like 'VTD' (voting precinct) and 'Block' used to describe the new district boundaries.
• Sets rules for handling any county land left out of all four districts or that ends up disconnected from its assigned district, assigning it to the adjoining district with the smallest population.
• Allows current Hancock County school board members to keep serving their full terms under the newly drawn districts without new elections.
• Repeals any prior laws that conflict with these changes.

Residents and voters of Hancock County who elect members of the Hancock County Board of Education, current board members serving in the four education districts, and county election officials who must apply the new district maps.

The new boundaries determine which Hancock County residents vote for which school board member, based on updated 2020 census population data. Because current board members keep their seats through their existing terms, the change affects future elections rather than who holds office right now.

• Section 1 rewrites Section 2 of the 1993 Act (as amended in 2013) to describe four new education districts based on the 'HancockCCSB-2025' map appendix.
• Section 1 defines 'VTD' and 'Block' by reference to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau reports for Georgia.
• Section 1 states that any county area left out of all four districts joins the adjoining district with the least population, and any noncontiguous part is reassigned the same way.
• Section 2 lets sitting board members finish their current terms and treats them as representing the newly described version of their same numbered district.
• Section 3 repeals all laws in conflict with the Act.
• Appendix A lists the specific census blocks and voting precincts assigned to Districts 1 through 4.

1. 2026-05-12Effective Date 2026-05-12
2. 2026-05-12Act 703
3. 2026-05-12Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2026-04-10Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2026-04-02House Passed/Adopted (House)
6. 2026-04-02House Third Readers (House)
7. 2026-04-02House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
8. 2026-03-20House Second Readers (House)

• David Lucas (D, SD-026)Primary sponsor
• Mack Jackson (D, HD-128)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 18, 2026

   50 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 2 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #728

2. PassedHouse voteApril 2, 2026

   94 yea, 75 nay (2 not voting, 5 absent)

   Supplemental Local Calendar : House Vote #857

• school board elections
• Hancock County
• redistricting
• local education districts