The Georgia House on Wednesday will vote on Gov. Nathan Deal’s top education initiatives, a last-minute change made in the Rules Committee.
Senate Bill 133 and Senate Resolution 287 were added to today's floor debate calendar this morning after failing to make it out of Rules on Tuesday. It was added to the list over Democrats' objections.
Expect a lively debate as the measures had been delayed as Republicans worked to line up votes to clear the 120 threshold necessary to pass SR 287, which is a constitutional amendment necessary to create the Opportunity School District that Deal has suggested. House Democrats, meanwhile, have come out as opposed to the plan and urged their 60 measures to vote against the proposals.
Both pieces of legislation passed the Senate earlier this month, with SR 287 getting exactly the number of "yes" votes needed to pass.
SB 133 would create a statewide school district tasked with taking over failing schools. One study showed about 140 schools would qualify for state takeover.
Schools that score below a 60 on the state’s College and Career Performance Index three years running would be eligible for the program, but “other considerations” such as community engagement and feedback from the families of students would also factor into the decision.
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