Private school funding voucher legislation approved by the House amid protests from Democrats.

The Georgia Legislature has passed a new version of a bill providing tax money to some Georgia families for use in private schools. Bill 233, which was fought by both parties last year, passed by a vote of 91-82.

Bill 233 would provide $6500 per pupil per year to children attending public schools in the state's 25 percent lowest-performing districts, with the option of using the funds to either pay for a private school or to purchase homeschool books and tutors. New elements of the amended law include allocating funds to families with incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level - roughly $120,000 for a family of four - and an accountability measure requiring private schools to report math and language arts test scores of voucher students to the state.