Will Ga. Lawmakers Consider School Vouchers In A Tight Budget Year?

Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan visited Atlanta Youth Academy in 2019 to celebrate National School Choice Week. AYA receives vouchers from Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program to help students pay tuition.

Martha Dalton / WABE

It’s National School Choice Week when some education advocates across the country will promote expanding school options for families. School choice covers a variety of programs, including charter and magnet schools, traditional public schools, online academies, home schooling, private schools and school vouchers or scholarships.

Different Types Of Vouchers

Typically, voucher or scholarship programs provide families with public money they can put toward private school tuition.

Georgia already has two voucher-comparable programs. One is a scholarship for children with special needsThe other gives dollar-for-dollar tax credits to people who donate to Student Scholarship Organizations (SSOs) so students can attend private schools. The two programs are “stackable,” meaning students can take advantage of both programs at the same time.