Georgia makes many more students than expected eligible for school vouchers

ATLANTA — Hundreds of thousands of students in Georgia will be eligible for $6,500 vouchers to pay for private school tuition or home-schooling expenses — far more than many legislators expected — under an expansive interpretation of the law by the new agency running the program.

Students who attend the lowest performing 25% of schools under Georgia's academic rating system are supposed to be eligible to apply.

But the Georgia Education Savings Authority, a body created by the law, wrote rules saying any student in such a school's attendance zone is eligible, even if they don't attend that school. For example, if a middle school is on the list, elementary and high school students who live in that zone can also apply.

''It's going to dramatically increase the number of students who are eligible,'' said Rep. Danny Mathis, a Cochran Republican. He opposed the law, saying it doesn't actually solve problems in public schools. Now, all the students in four of the five counties Mathis represents south of Macon could get a chance to apply.

The law capped spending at 1% of the funding formula for public schools, or $144 million. That could provide more than 22,000 vouchers, if lawmakers decide to spend that much in 2025. But Georgia currently has 1.75 million public school students, and an Associated Press analysis finds more than 400,000 students could get a chance to apply.

Such broad eligibility means applications could far exceed the spending limit, creating pressure to raise it. Some opponents have said a push toward universal vouchers has been the point all along.

It's another example of how voucher programs are ballooning nationwide. Many supporters want all students to be eligible, regardless of school performance or family income. States that have adopted such universal vouchers, such as Arizona, Florida, Iowa and Ohio, reported more applications than expected, causing costs to bulge.

The authority is supposed to accept applications early next year. The money can be spent on private school tuition, textbooks, transportation, home-schooling supplies, therapy, tutoring or even early college courses for high school students.

Georgia Education Savings Authority spokesperson Hayley Corbitt pointed to the language in the law, which says eligibility applies if ''the student resides in the attendance zone of a public school that is included on the list.''

House Republican leaders, including Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones of Milton, say they want to rein in the authority's interpretation. She says such broad eligibility isn't what she advocated for.

''That wasn't my understanding,'' Jones said.

The House approved the program with no votes to spare this spring after seven rural Republicans and a Democrat flipped under pressure from Gov. Brian Kemp, House Speaker Jon Burns of Newington and other Republicans.

''The scholarships are specifically designed for children in an individual school that meets the eligibility requirements, and are not intended to be provided to every student in a district where the qualifying school is located,'' Erwin wrote in a text.

Erwin was superintendent for 11 years in Banks County, where all students could be eligible for vouchers.

It's unclear how Senate Republicans feel. Sen. Greg Dolezal of Cumming, who as the bill's sponsor was consulted on the rule-making, referred questions to Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. He didn't respond to questions about how the law is being implemented, instead only expressing support for ''educational freedom.''

''I believe more can be done to give parents greater control and resources that can meet their child's unique educational needs,'' Jones said in part in his statement.

The low-performing list itself is in flux. The Governor's Office of Student Achievement, assigned to calculate the numbers, has twice withdrawn the list after superintendents questioned the calculations or officials determined some schools, like alternative schools, had been included by mistake. Joy Hawkins, the director of the office, said a third list should be published Thursday.