The Buckingham

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One year ago, the Georgia Supreme Court declared it illegal for a charter school to create a program using taxpayer’s money that parallels the public school system. Now, Georgia Legislature is debating this same topic. If the bill passes, it could set the stage for reforms across the country.

The current law in Georgia does not allow a charter school to receive funding from the state unless the local school boards approve the funding. Last year, the Georgia Charter Schools Commission provided money to some charter schools without the necessary approvals, which led to the Supreme Court decision.

According to critics, the public school system would suffer the most from this bill. School districts are already facing $1 billion in cuts without the bill in place. The GOP promises that none of the funding for the charter schools would be taken from the public school system.

If the bill makes it past Georgia Legislature, citizens would be able to vote on it in November’s elections.

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