School Takeover Bill Heads To Governor’s Desk
Georgia voters will soon get the chance to decide whether to give the governor new authority to take over failing schools. The General Assembly signed off on the controversial plan Wednesday.
House lawmakers debated the bill for over an hour. Rep. Christian Coomer, R-Cartersville, said something needed to be done about chronically failing schools.
“This legislation will act as a challenge to those local boards to say, ‘if you don’t get your house in order, then we will,’” said Coomer.
Gov. Nathan Deal originally proposed the plan. It would allow the state to take over up to 20 schools per year and manage up to 100 at any one time. Schools would be eligible for intervention if the state deems them failing for more than three years. The schools would then form a new district led by an appointee of the governor.
Most Democrats opposed the legislation but didn’t have the votes to stop it. Rep. Mable Thomas, D-Atlanta, said the plan ignores the deeper socioeconomic issues that plague underperforming schools. She said the plan was misguided and gave far too much power to the governor.
“Once this bill passes we know we are out of the loop and marginalized,” said Thomas.
The plan passed both chambers with just enough votes to meet the two-thirds requirement necessary to change the state constitution and hold a referendum.
Georgia voters will see it on ballots next year.
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