by Dave Williams | May 7, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service Gov. Brian Kemp signed what he called an “historic” $36.1 billion state budget Tuesday containing healthy raises for state employees and public school teachers. The fiscal 2025 budget, which takes effect July 1, represents an increase of $3.7 billion over the fiscal 2024 budget the General Assembly adopted [...]

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On Tuesday, Gov. Brian Kemp signed several bills at a press conference that focused on school choice, property disposal, school supplies for teachers, social media, and more. Kemp stood alongside a large group of people outside the Georgia Department of Education who awaited the signing. Lieutenant Gov. of Georgia Burt Jones welcomed Kemp, emphasizing how [...]

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by Dave Williams | Mar 10, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service ATLANTA – The Georgia House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a $36.1 billion fiscal 2025 state budget Thursday with generous raises for teachers and state employees made possible by a huge surplus. “This is an awesome budget that addresses the needs of every Georgian from all walks of life,” [...]

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by Dave Williams |March 3, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service ATLANTA – The Republican-controlled Georgia Senate has passed legislation that would prohibit city, county, and regional libraries from using either tax dollars or private funds on any materials offered by the American Library Association (ALA). Senate Bill 390 cleared the upper chamber in the General Assembly 33-20 along [...]

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The Working Group on Early Childhood Education finalized a report of recommendations in January to improve the state-funded Pre-K program in Georgia.  State Representative Jon Burns established the Group to focus on issues surrounding the access and effectiveness of the program. He selected Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones as Chair of the working group and [...]

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In a move towards enhancing early education, the Georgia House Subcommittee on Education Policy voted today to advance House Bill 941 (HB 941). This bill, sponsored by House Education Committee Chairman Chris Erwin and House Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones, aims to expand the scope of capital outlay funds to include support for pre-kindergarten programs [...]

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The Georgia General Assembly introduced House Bill 874, which could require defibrillators in all schools on January 12th. Its first summary reads as follows: “A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 3 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to health, so [...]

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The Georgia Senate Committee held its Education & Youth Committee Meeting at 2:30 p.m. yesterday. During the brief meeting, the committee passed two bills.  The first was SB 208, which aims to provide education fees. The bill's First Reader Summary reads, "To amend Chapter 71 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, [...]

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by Dave Williams | Jan 23, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service ATLANTA – Seven Georgia school districts will receive nearly $60 million in federal funding for new electric and low-emission buses. The Georgia grant is part of $1 billion going to school systems across the country to pay for clean buses. The money comes from the bipartisan infrastructure spending [...]

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State School Superintendent Richard Woods has appointed Dr. J. Nicholas Philmon, a key figure in developing structured literacy practices in Marietta City Schools, to spearhead and develop a statewide literacy coaching model in Georgia. As the Structured Literacy Coaching Coordinator, Dr. Philmon, while retaining his position with Marietta City Schools, will collaborate with the Georgia [...]

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