Sine Die: Education-Friendly FY 2026 Budget Finalized, Multiple Ed Bills Move to Kemp's Desk
- Legislative Team
- 8 hours ago
- 5 min read
The conclusion of the 2026 session included House and Senate approval of multiple PAGE budget priorities, including the addition of a student poverty weight, funding for student mental health, and appropriations for more school psychologists and school social workers. The Senate unexpectedly adjourned shortly after 9 p.m., but not before both chambers passed multiple PAGE-supported bills. The PAGE team was there for it all.
Senate Adjourns Abruptly at 9:12 p.m.
The Senate agreed to the following House changes to Senate bills, granting the legislation final passage and sending it to Gov. Brian Kemp's desk.
SB 82 by Sen. Clint Dixon (R-Gwinnett) seeks to promote local approval of charter schools by creating an incentive grant program overseen by the State Charter Schools Commission. School districts would receive grant funds when they approve charter schools. Conversely, if districts deny local charter petitions, they must provide the petitioner with a written explanation of denial. If districts deny multiple petitions that are subsequently approved by the state, districts would not be able to renew their strategic waivers for three years or until the State Board of Education (SBOE) determines local boards have demonstrated "commitment to increasing student performance and encouraging innovation through high-quality local charter petition authorizations.” This provision would not apply to districts with fewer than 10,000 students and would sunset for all districts on July 1, 2035.
SB 63 by Sen. Clint Dixon (R-Gwinnett), which would require school districts that offer PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, PreACT, ACT, ASVAB, or Advanced Placement (AP) exams to students enrolled in the district to offer the same testing to homeschool students residing in the district. School districts could not charge homeschooled students any fee to take the exams beyond what is currently charged to enrolled students.
SB 20 sponsored by Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick (R-Marietta) includes language from HB 56 by Rep. Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah) to create a memorial fund for public school teachers and employees killed or disabled in the line of duty. The Georgia Student Finance Authority would manage this fund and provide tuition grants to the children and spouses of educators killed or disabled in the line of service.
The Senate passed one education-related House bill that moves on to Gov. Kemp.
HB 235 by Rep. Rick Townsend, a PAGE-supported bill to allow educators to take up to 30 days of leave for organ donation and up to seven days for bone marrow donation.
House Adjourns at 10:37 p.m.
The House agreed to Senate versions of the following bills, granting them final passage. They now move to Gov. Kemp's desk.
HB 37 by Rep. Rob Leverett (R-Elberton) which directs local school districts to notify employees about whether Social Security taxes will be withheld from their pay and requires notification of employee eligibility for other pension or retirement plans. Notification must occur at least once every five years and at or near the time of employee separation from a school district. The bill was amended in the Senate to include provisions by Sen. Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) allowing school board members to carry spouses and family members on district-provided health and dental plans.
HB 105 by Rep. Will Wade (R-Dawsonville) increases the state financial award from $75,000 to $150,000 for families of educators killed in the line of service.
HB 217 by Rep. Soo Hong (R-Lawrenceville) was approved by the Senate Higher Education Committee late in the day on Legislative Day 33. The bill extends the sunset to 2031 for the Dual Achievement Program. A Senate floor amendment added language allowing the Georgia Education Savings Authority to verify the income of Promise Scholarship applicants.
HB 371 by Rep. John Corbett (R-Lake Park) stipulates that starting in 2027 the maximum amount of funds allowed to be distributed to the capital outlay program will increase from $300 million to $375 million. The bill also includes language requiring that elementary school playgrounds built in the future meet specific ADA requirements.
The House passed the following legislation which now moves to Gov. Kemp for consideration:
Education-Related FY 2026 Budget Agreement Highlights
Appropriations conferees reached agreement on the FY 2026 budget, which was then approved by the House and Senate, sending it to Gov. Kemp for his signature.
$2 million increase for planning grants for state completion special schools
$500,000 for grants to school systems to encourage the authorization of locally approved charter schools under SB 82
$750,000 increase for college prep exams
$1.6 million to sustain 400mbs state-funded bandwidth through PeachNet
$18.5 million to fund 116 RESA-based literacy coaches
No funds were added for school supplies pursuant to SB 464 passed in 2024, despite a $7.5 million request from Gov. Kemp
-$3 million reduction in school nutrition funding due to a decrease in the number of meals served. Instead, the budget recognizes $6,333,713 in existing state funds for breakfast and reduced-price paying students
$10.2 million for pupil transportation formula grants
$158,00 increase for required bus driver safety training
-$113 million reduction in formula funds for Equalization grants
-$115 million reduction in Local Five Mill Share funds
$300 million increase for enrollment growth and training and experience
-$298,026 reduction in formula funds for differentiated pay for newly certified math and science teachers
$21.5 million increase for the State Commission Charter School supplement
-$1.4 million decrease for charter system grant
$48,477 increase for local charter school grant
$173 million increase in the employer contribution per-member per-month (PMPM) rate for certified school employees to $1,885
$871,982 increase to fully fund Georgia’s school psychologist ratio at 1:2,420, as required by HB 283, passed in 2013
$2,500 salary increase for military counselors annualized by shifting the funding under QBE enrollment growth
-$92,608 reduction in RESA funding based on enrollment
-$92,301 reduction in formula funds for school nurses
$150,000 increase for a school safety coordinator position
$7 million for student advocacy specialist grants found in HB 268
$19.6 million to establish student mental health support grants
$2.4 million increase for social workers for school systems that, due to system size, do not earn enough for one social worker
$12.5 million for out-of-school care for statewide and community grantees
$15.3 million increase for a pilot to support economically disadvantaged students
On Sine Die Eve, Senate Retirement Committee Prioritizes TRS Bills for Actuary
The Senate Retirement Committee met briefly April 3. Committee Chair Rick Williams (R-Milledgeville) explained the goal was to prioritize fiscal retirement legislation for actuarial study to curb costs of actuarial review. He acknowledged the House will also meet to order actuarial review of House fiscal retirement bills, and expressed hope that the two bodies, and thus Georgia taxpayers, will not be required to pay for separate fiscal studies for bills of overlapping subject matter. Committee conversation indicated around six bills would likely receive an actuarial study, though the exact number making the cut would be dependent on which bills the House Retirement Committee subsequently chooses.
The committee prioritized SB 150 by Sen. Billy Hickman (R-Statesboro) as its third choice. The legislation would continue Georgia's return-to-work program until 2034, shorten the required waiting period to 60 days, and allow retirees to return to work in all teaching positions except coaching and athletics.
SB 209 by Sen. Russ Goodman (R-Homerville) was ranked as the committee's sixth choice. SB 209 would permit Public School Employees' Retirement System (PSERS) employees to make a one-time irrevocable decision to join TRS.
Williams closed the meeting by thanking those in the audience who work hard to support state retirement plans and members. The House Retirement Committee is expected to meet after session and send House fiscal retirement bills for actuarial study.