Georgia sets rules for nontraditional and charter school programs

The State Board of Education must set rules for nontraditional education programs and services and for dropout recovery charter schools. Nontraditional programs include dropout prevention, credit recovery, and classes outside the regular school schedule. Dropout recovery charter schools serve students in grades six through 12 and not kindergarten through grade five. Rules must explain special education, remedial education, and other services. Rules must set and track measurable standards for academic achievement, student growth, and student retention. The Office of Student Achievement must report separately on these programs and schools. The State Board must establish the nontraditional-program rules by July 1, 2027. Reporting applies through the required annual reports.

Home-study and qualifying virtual-school students may try out for and participate in resident-school extracurricular and interscholastic activities if they meet the listed requirements. Home-study students are in grades six through 12. Virtual-school students must attend a qualifying public virtual school full time and live in the resident school system. Students must meet the same age, academic, conduct, discipline, residence, zoning, tryout, and selection rules as other participating students. Home-study students must provide advance notice and proof of satisfactory progress and must take one qualifying course each semester in which they participate. Virtual-school students must provide advance notice and a report card or equivalent showing passing grades. A student who leaves a public school for home study or qualifying virtual school is ineligible for 12 months from the specified withdrawal or enrollment date. The virtual-school provisions apply beginning with the 2027-2028 school year. The 12-month ineligibility period starts on the applicable declaration-of-intent or virtual-school enrollment date.

Local school boards and other public school governing bodies must consider long-term ownership costs, flexibility, and resale or salvage value when buying school technology devices. The rule covers public-school electronic or computerized equipment valued above $100, including computers, tablets, interactive whiteboards, and related equipment. Each local board or governing body must report device totals, break/fix rates, repairs or devices taken out of service, and repair or replacement spending. The Department of Education must collect the local reports and submit a statewide report to state leaders. Local reports are due no later than October 15 each year beginning in 2027. The Department of Education report is due no later than December 31 each year beginning in 2027.

Subject to available funding, the Department of Education must distribute incentive grants to local boards that approve new local charter petitions. The grants apply only to new local charter petitions approved after June 30, 2025, not to approval or renewal of an existing charter school. Each eligible board is scheduled to receive $250,000 in each of the first three years of the charter school’s operation if the school remains authorized. Total grants may not exceed $2.25 million in a fiscal year. If available funding is insufficient, each grant is reduced proportionally. Boards may use the money for authorizer work such as staff, oversight, compliance monitoring, and professional development. Payments are due by September 1 of each of the first three operating years. The grant program automatically ends July 1, 2035.

The Office of Charter School Compliance must handle charter guidance, petitions, grants, evaluations, reports, and technical assistance, while certain charter schools retain and then transfer records after closing. The provisions cover local and state charter schools, charter authorizers, existing charter schools seeking a new state charter, and nonprofit entities holding state charter contracts. Existing charter schools may petition for a new charter only when their current obligations expire or the authorizing board terminates, does not renew, rescinds, or waives those obligations. A state charter school formed through that process may continue using its prior facilities and equipment, subject to a reasonable fee. When a state charter school closes, its nonprofit charter holder must keep records and transfer them to the commission after the required retention period. The record-retention period is 180 days from the latest applicable contract-expiration, termination, or school-closing date. The Act’s stated effective date is July 1, 2026.