Education; replace terms charter system and charter systems with performance contract system and performance contract systems
Summary
HB 893 is a technical education bill that revises terminology throughout Title 20 of the Georgia Code. It replaces the phrases “charter system” and “charter systems” with “performance contract system” and “performance contract systems” wherever those terms appear in a long list of education-related statutes. The bill does not appear to change the underlying structure of these programs or create new substantive rights or obligations; rather, it standardizes the terminology used in the code.
The affected provisions span a wide range of education topics, including charter schools, district flexibility, accountability and evaluation, literacy initiatives, virtual instruction, student assessments, internet acceptable-use policies, the Parents’ Bill of Rights, school funding, face mask enforcement prohibitions, and turnaround schools. The bill also updates references in the Charter Schools Act of 1998 and related offices and procedures. It is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and repeals conflicting laws.
Impact
HB 893 would amend multiple sections of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated by substituting “performance contract system” terminology for “charter system” terminology. Because the bill is largely conforming and definitional, its main legal effect is to align statutory language across education laws rather than to alter the operation of charter-related or flexibility-related programs. It would affect school districts, charter schools, the State Board of Education, and other education stakeholders by updating the terms used in governing statutes.
Sentiment
The available context suggests the bill is noncontroversial and administrative in nature. There are no committee transcripts or recorded votes indicating opposition or debate, and the measure’s caption reflects a terminology update rather than a policy change. Overall, the bill appears to have been presented as a housekeeping measure to improve consistency in the education code.
Contention
No specific points of contention are evident in the provided materials. Because the bill only changes terminology across many education statutes, any disagreement would likely be limited to whether the new phrase “performance contract system” is preferable to “charter system” as a matter of statutory drafting or policy framing. However, no recorded objections, amendments, or vote splits are provided.
School accountability: Office of the Education Inspector General: school financial and performance audits: charter school authorization, oversight, funding, operations, networks, and contracting: data systems: local educational agency contractor background checks and contracting.
Education; prohibit virtual instruction to out-of-system students if the local school system has a College and Career Ready Performance Index below the state average