How the Assembly’s Actions – and Suitable Inactions – Will Affect Students
IDRA Georgia Education Policy Alert – May 9, 2025
The Georgia General Assembly legislative session has come to a close. In this alert, we give you highlights of what happened. And, since this was the first of its two-year cycle, we look into how advocates can prepare for bills that are still active and may be considered in 2026.
These include troubling measures aimed at defunding public schools, attacking programs that support diverse students, intensifying discipline disparities, and targeting immigrant students and their families.
IDRA Equipped Georgia Advocates to Defend Public Education
by DeAndrea Byrd & Isabelle Philip
IDRA’s work with partners and key legislators focuses on promoting strong policies and stopping bills that would harm Georgia’s students. Get a glimpse of what that work looked like this session for both legislative advocacy and coalition building and community engagement. See story
Long Debate on School Safety and Discipline Results in Mixed Bag Legislation
by Terrence Wilson, J.D.
After the tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County in September 2024, Speaker of the House Jon Burns and Barrow County Rep. Holt Persinger introduced House Bill 268, a wide-ranging school safety bill.
The measure was passed. While it includes some positive steps toward supporting students, it also raises serious concerns about how students may be treated. See story and videos
Charter Legislation Passes, Voucher Expansion Stalls
by Mikayla Arciaga, M.A.Ed.
Education funding was at the forefront of conversations about schools this session. Debates about the Georgia Promise Scholarship Voucher Program, charter school expansion, and school safety took up a significant amount of oxygen.
Meanwhile, a small bipartisan contingency renewed a conversation about the long-needed modernization of the Quality Basic Education formula and the call to invest in schools educating students of limited socioeconomic status.
See story and videos for news about:
- Opportunity Funding Expansion
- Charter School “Carrot & Stick” Bill – HB 202 & SB 82 (Passed into law)
- Voucher Expansion Stalls in Georgia
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Ban Defeated – For Now
by Isabelle Philip
In line with federal attacks, Senate Bill 120 would create an expansive ban on diversity, equity and inclusion, affecting both K-12 schools and universities in Georgia.
This bill threatens to pull funding from schools that do not remove a broad and vague array of practices falling under the diversity, equity and inclusion banner. See story and videos
Georgia’s Education Budget Funds Vouchers First, Mental Health and Poverty Support Second
by Mikayla Arciaga, M.A.Ed.
The Georgia Assembly is constitutionally mandated to pass its budget in 40 legislative days. There is always debate around the budget, and this year the House and the Governor were in step on most line items, while the Senate opposed many of their recommendations.
This dynamic meant that the budget process came down to the wire, with whispers of an extended session plaguing both chambers as late as the morning of Legislative Day #40. As always, education was a hot topic for debate. See story
Partners Pushed Against Key Bills Affecting Education and Youth
by Isabelle Philip
There were many bills moving this past legislative session affecting youth and their access to education that did not directly fall under IDRA’s policy priorities, but that are important to understand.
These bills included legislation attacking transgender Georgians, immigrant families, and our first amendment rights. While we played supporting roles in some of these fights, our partners and coalition members took the lead. See list
Spotlight: Coalition and Community Work in Georgia
by DeAndrea Byrd
This legislative session, IDRA showed up powerfully alongside students, families, teachers, community members and our partners across Georgia.
Education Action Cohort: From the Schoolhouse to the Statehouse
IDRA collaborated with two high schools in Georgia to launch student-led advocacy cohorts focused on education policy. Every Tuesday and Thursday during the legislative session, students participated in shadow days at the Capitol to learn, engage and speak directly with legislators. Students provided powerful testimony on key education bills, ensuring that youth voice was present and impactful throughout the legislative process.
Georgia Coalition for Education Justice: Convening and Collaborating with Community
Through the Georgia Coalition for Education Justice, we engaged parents, educators, students and advocacy organizations through weekly meetings and provided legislative updates through our regular email alerts. Convened by IDRA, the coalition is a collective of students, educators, parents and advocates dedicated to advancing education justice for all children across the state.
By uplifting stories from those most impacted and connecting them directly to policymakers, we strengthened our movement and supported two parents to speak to the news rallying the support of increasing school funding. We also participated in partner-led advocacy days and coalition activities, providing real-time support and collaboration.
Thank you to those who advocated alongside us, from speaking with legislators directly, to testifying in committee, to communities. A special thank you to our students, who have been incredible partners in our work this legislative session.
Through this collective work, we strengthened our relationships, sharpened our advocacy, and continued building momentum toward just and inclusive education systems in Georgia.
We are proud of the impact we made together and remain committed to growing this movement into the next legislative session.
