Georgia education voucher bill clears hurdle and passes in State House.

Georgia Republican representatives voted in favor of a voucher program that provides funding to pay for private schools and education at home. This development is a major success for advocates of freedom of choice in education who have long sought this outcome. Republican leaders were able to overcome the existing doubts of some of their party's rural representatives.

The House vote in favor of the bill, S.B. 233 resulted in 91 votes in favor and 82 against it. The same bill failed last year when 16 Republicans voted against it. This time, however, seven Republicans and one Democrat, who opposed the measure last year, moved to support it.

Following the vote, the bill was sent to the Senate for final approval. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp came out in support of the voucher program, devoting a significant portion of his State of the State address to it. And House Republican Rep. John Burns also became a strong advocate for the bill after a number of debates.

Under this bill, students who attend public schools with low academic achievement levels would receive $6,500 a year for education accounts. This money could be spent on private school tuition, educational materials for home schooling, therapy, tutoring, or even pre-college courses for high school students.

The bill differs from last year's failed measure in that it was combined with several other education initiatives. But its opponents argue that it would take resources away from public schools because as children leave, school districts would lose state aid while other students would remain.

A number of Republican representatives, including Vance Smith of Pine Mountain, remain opposed to the bill and believe lawmakers should be looking for solutions to problems in the education sector.

The new program would be limited to spending 1 percent of Georgia's total education spending, which is $141 million. The money for vouchers will be allocated separately, not from the general budget.

Families with incomes at or below four times the federal poverty level will be prioritized for scholarships. That's about $100,000 for a family of three. Parents must also provide proof of allowable expenses to the new Georgia Education Accounts Authorizer agency in order to receive a payment. All eligible children can qualify for the program.

Democrats argue that the money is not enough to pay for tuition at most private schools, and in some rural areas there are no private schools at all. They also say private schools may not accept all applicants and discriminate on social and religious issues. Carlton Howard, an Augusta Democrat, says the bill increases inequality by favoring those who have the resources to make up for it.

Republicans, however, see it differently. Mesha Maynor, an Atlanta Republican, switched from the Democratic Party in part because of her support for the voucher program. She said the bill would help at least some people, arguing that members of her former party were unwilling to help students in poorly performing schools.

"They grow up surrounded by poverty and despair," Maynor said. - "You can change that for them today."

U.S. Republicans are now actively pursuing education bill programs in many states, whose popularity has grown in the wake of the pandemic and controversy over the content of education in public schools.

Other changes in the bill include an increase in salaries for teachers in public schools, as well as the inclusion of preschool in the state support program for the construction and equipping of buildings. The law also allows for students to be sent to other public school districts and increases tax benefits for donations to public schools.

The introduction of provisions for increasing teachers' salaries is partly a symbolic step, as lawmakers have been raising teachers' pay through budget resolutions for several years now.

Currently, there are programs in Georgia that provide vouchers for students with special educational needs, as well as state tax credits amounting to $120 million per year for those who wish to donate to school scholarship funds.