ATLANTA — Months after it was taken down, Georgia officials have republished the list of low-performing schools where students are eligible for the state’s new voucher program.
The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) created and published several versions of the school list at the end of November and start of December, but each time they pulled it back after calculation “outliers.”
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In a statement shared with Channel 2 Action News, GOSA Director Joy Hawkins said the office needed to do a “careful, thorough and conscientious analysis of the validation process to ensure the ultimate list is correct.”
On Friday, the GOSA republished the list which along with a list of frequently asked questions. You can see below if your student’s school is on the list.
The list is one of several factors that determines if a student is eligible for the Georgia Promise Scholarship vouchers.
Gov. Brian Kemp signed the law approving the program in 2024. Under the act, eligible families can get up to $6,500 to pay for private school tuition, home-school expenses or other education related expenses.
In addition to attending a low-performing school, the student must also have attended the public school for at least two consecutive semesters or entering kindergarten.
The student’s parent or parents must have been a Georgia resident for at least a year unless they are on active duty in the military. The law also states that priority goes to families who earn less than four times the federal property level.
The application portal opens on March 1.
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The school voucher program has been met with mixed reaction since its approval. This week, a Georgia state representative has introduced a bill to overturn the school voucher program.
“Since being signed into law, the voucher bill’s implementation has been fraught with delays and unforeseen challenges, causing further issues for our public education system,” Rep. Floyd Griffin (D-Milledgeville) said.
“The voucher program disproportionately affects our state’s rural school districts, where private schools are inaccessible to most families. We see a similar challenge in urban school districts, where transportation and private school tuition costs also make the voucher program unattainable for families. In attempting to improve our school systems, the program has done the exact opposite and has reduced vital funding to students and families who rely on public education,” he added.
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