Quality Basic Education Act; home study students and private school students to enroll in college and career academies located in certain RESA service areas and adjacent local school systems; provide
House Bill 971 amends Georgia’s Quality Basic Education Act to expand access to college and career academies for students who are educated at home or attend private school. Under the bill, local school systems may enroll these students in one or more eligible CTAE courses offered by a college and career academy if the academy is located in the student’s resident school system, within the same RESA service area, or in an adjacent local school system. The measure also clarifies key definitions, including “course,” “home study student,” “private school student,” and “resident school system.”
The bill directs the State Board of Education to adopt rules governing enrollment forms, timelines, grade reporting, discipline procedures, and other administrative details. It also requires participating home study and private school students to meet the same enrollment and participation requirements as public school students, follow school rules and codes of conduct, and pay any applicable course fees. Transportation remains the responsibility of the student’s family, and the bill prohibits local boards from charging tuition for these enrollments.
HB 971 would change state education law by creating a broader statutory pathway for home study and private school students to access career-focused instruction at college and career academies. It would affect local boards of education, college and career academies, the State Board of Education, and families seeking access to CTAE programming. The bill also provides that local boards may earn FTE funding for eligible enrolled students at academies chartered with the local board, while barring tuition charges for these students. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.
The available voting history suggests the bill was broadly supported in the House, passing 162-0, indicating strong bipartisan or near-unanimous approval at that stage. No committee transcript is available, so there is no recorded debate to indicate formal opposition or amendments in committee. The later Senate vote shown is a motion to table remaining legislation on the Rules Calendar, which passed 37-9, but that vote is procedural and does not directly reflect final sentiment on HB 971 itself.
The main policy issues likely involve access, capacity, and administration. The bill limits participation to academies in the student’s resident system, the same RESA area, or an adjacent local system, and only when space is available, which may raise questions about how broadly access will be available in practice. It also places transportation costs on families and allows schools to charge normal course fees, which could be a concern for some home study and private school families. Local systems may also scrutinize the funding and administrative requirements associated with enrolling nonpublic students, including discipline, reporting, and compliance with state board rules.