Speaker Jon Burns Celebrates Legislation Championing Education

ATLANTA - Aug. 1 marks the beginning of the academic year for many school systems across the state. The Georgia House of Representatives passed several key bills during the 2024 Legislative Session to champion Georgia's students, teachers, schools and families by bolstering our education funding and providing parents with the ability to pursue the educational options best suited to their children's needs.

"Thousands of students and teachers throughout Georgia will begin this school year with increased resources, funding and opportunities," said Speaker of the House Jon Burns. "From historic investments in Pre-K programs, early literacy initiatives and teacher pay raises to school safety funding and school choice vouchers-providing access to quality education for every Georgia student continues to be a top priority for the House."

Some highlights of education legislation passed during the 2024 Session include:

HB 353 - The Georgia Lottery for Education Act made adjustments to COAM regulations which provided an avenue for a $97 million increase in funding for the Georgia Pre-K Program.

HB 916 -The 2024-2025 budget fully funds Quality Basic Education, provides $2,500 teacher pay raises and allocates $45,000 annually to every public school for safety resources.

SB 233 - The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act provides eligible families with $6,500 school choice vouchers, providing families with the opportunity to choose the best educational options for their children.

SB 464 - The School Supplies for Teachers Program streamlined the early literacy testing process throughout the state by providing a free universal screener to every Georgia school system.

For more information about the education investments included in the FY 2025 Budget, please visit the following link: https://www.legis.ga.gov/house/budget-research-office

To learn more about the education options available throughout the state, please visit the following link: https://www.gadoe.org/Pages/Home.aspx

###