Ga. Senate Rejects School Voucher Bill

greg dolezal burt jones

Sen. Greg Dolezal (left) sponsored a bill that would have let families use some public funds to pay for private school services. Sen. Burt Jones is on the right.

The Georgia Senate

After a two-hour fiery debate on Tuesday, the Georgia Senate rejected a bill that would have essentially created a school voucher program. Senate Bill 173 would let parents put money the state allocates for their child in public school into an Education Savings Account (ESA). Parents could use money in the account to pay for private school tuition or other services, like tutoring.

Conflict Over Cost

The bill’s sponsor, Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, said the legislation would let families develop a customized education plan based on their student’s needs.