SB 236: "Quality Basic Education Act,"; certain students whose parents or guardians are on active duty are eligible for enrollment in the public school of the attendance zone in which they intend to reside; provide

Under current Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-150), a student whose parent or guardian is on active duty in the U.S. armed forces and has military transfer orders can enroll in the public school for the attendance zone they will live in before actually moving there. This bill changes how that works by making clear the student can enroll in the zone they intend to reside in, even if the family has not yet signed a lease, bought a home, or otherwise secured housing there. The catch is that this early enrollment is now provisional. Within 90 days of the first day of enrollment, the family must give the school proof they have established residency in that attendance zone, or show they have made good faith efforts to do so. If they cannot show that, the student must switch to the school for the zone where the family actually lives at the end of the 90 days. High school juniors and seniors are allowed to stay at their school through graduation even if the family's actual residence changes.

• Lets a student whose parent has military transfer orders enroll in the school zone the family intends to move to, even without a signed lease or purchased home in that zone.
• Makes that early enrollment provisional, requiring proof within 90 days that the family has established residency or made good faith efforts to do so in that attendance zone.
• Requires the student to move to the school of the zone where the family actually resides if residency in the intended zone is not verified within 90 days.
• Allows high school juniors and seniors to remain in their current school through graduation even if their family's physical residence later changes.

Military families relocating to Georgia under official transfer orders, the students in those families, local school systems and school principals who must track the 90-day verification process, and Georgia public schools including state-chartered special schools under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-295.

Military families often face short timelines to find housing after a transfer. This bill lets their children start school in the neighborhood they plan to settle in right away, without waiting to finalize housing, while giving schools a 90-day check to confirm the family actually follows through on establishing residency there.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 20-2-150(e) to allow enrollment in the intended attendance zone regardless of whether housing has been secured yet.
• Section 1 requires written verification within 90 days of the first day of provisional enrollment showing established residency or good faith efforts to establish it.
• Section 1 requires the student to transfer to the school of the zone where the family actually resides if the 90-day verification is not provided.
• Section 1 exempts high school juniors and seniors from having to change schools due to a later change in physical residency.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting Georgia laws.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (Cámara de Representantes)
2. 2025-03-21House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Cámara de Representantes)
3. 2025-03-11House Second Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
4. 2025-03-10House First Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
5. 2025-03-06Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senado)
6. 2025-03-06Senate Third Read (Senado)
7. 2025-03-06Senate Taken from Table (Senado)
8. 2025-03-06Senate Tabled (Senado)

• Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)Patrocinador principal
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Nikki Merritt (D, SD-009)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
• Jason Esteves (D, SD-035)
• Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
• Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)
• Donzella James (D, SD-028)
• Ed Harbison (D, SD-015)
• Derek Mallow (D, SD-002)
• Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)
• Freddie Sims (D, SD-012)
• David Clark (R, HD-100)

1. AprobadaVotación: Senado6 de marzo de 2025

   54 a favor, 1 en contra (1 sin votar, 0 ausentes)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #208

• military families
• school enrollment
• education policy
• Quality Basic Education Act