Georgia Republicans will test support for school vouchers during May primary election balloting.

The question on the statewide GOP primary ballot asks:

“Should Georgia empower parents with the right to use the tax dollars allocated for the education of their children, allowing them the freedom to choose among public, private, virtual, and home schools?”

The question merely gauges voters’ opinion, and the ballot result would not bring any school-funding changes without further legislative action.

Vouchers, or permutations such as Educational Savings Accounts, are a recurrent theme during the state’s legislative sessions. And they are controversial, opposed by groups that represent public school teachers.

Last year, Gov. Nathan Deal's hand-picked Education Reform Commission voted narrowly to kill a recommendation to create voucher-like accounts for parents.

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(Illustration: Jessi Esparza / AJC)

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Atlanta art and antiques appraiser and auctioneer Allan Baitcher (right) takes bids during a 2020 auction. Baitcher and his company, Peachtree Antiques, are being sued by a Florida multimillionaire who says he paid them $20 million for fakes. (AJC 2020)

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