Georgia tuition bill passes over hurdles in Duma

Georgia Republicans passed a long-suffering education entitlement bill Friday that would fund private school tuition and home schooling. The vote in the House of Representatives ended with a score of 91-82 in favor of the bill. At the same time last year, the same initiative failed as 16 Republicans voted against it. Now, seven Republicans and one Democrat who opposed the measure last year have decided to support it. The bill will now be sent to the Senate for confirmation of the final version.

If the bill passes, tuition for children attending public schools ranked in the last 25% of the achievement rankings will be funded from education bills. This $6,500 amount would be able to be used to pay for private schools, home schooling, therapy, tutoring and even early college for high school students. Thus, the measure affects only the most disadvantaged schools and allows parents to make educational choices for their children.

Opponents of such a system believe it would take resources away from public schools. Representatives of this group argue that because children would leave school, school districts would lose state support while other students would remain. Critics also point out that many parents would not be able to use the funds to pay for private school tuition because of the high costs, citing the inaccessibility of private schools in some rural areas.

The new program is supposed to allocate 1 percent of Georgia's total education budget, which is $141 million. Lawmakers would allocate the money for these awards separately, not including the general education fund.

Representatives of the Democratic Party object to such a system. They believe that the funds allocated would not be sufficient to pay tuition at most private schools, and point to the lack of private schools in a number of rural areas. They also believe that private schools may discriminate against people because of social and religious principles. Representatives of the Democratic Party believe that such a system will exacerbate inequality and is unacceptably dependent on the capabilities of parents.

However, Republicans believe that such a system will help people, especially those who lack the means to pay tuition at poor quality public schools. They believe that such measures will help children out of the circles of poverty and despair and create opportunities for a better future.

The idea of education bills is a new trend in the Republican party and states across the country in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the controversy over curriculum content in public schools. The bill also includes pay raises for teachers, retraining and empowering district schools. Overall, the bill received support from Republicans and divided reviews from Democrats.