| 6 | 5 | | A RESOLUTION |
|---|
| 7 | 6 | | Creating the Senate Study Committee on Local School System Flexibility Options; and for |
|---|
| 8 | 7 | | 1 |
|---|
| 9 | 8 | | other purposes.2 |
|---|
| 10 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Georgia law permits the State Board of Education to waive compliance with3 |
|---|
| 11 | 10 | | certain provisions of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated to grant flexibility4 |
|---|
| 12 | 11 | | to local school systems and charter schools with the goal of improving student performance;5 |
|---|
| 13 | 12 | | and6 |
|---|
| 14 | 13 | | WHEREAS, local school systems and charter schools are authorized to seek exemptions7 |
|---|
| 15 | 14 | | from state laws and regulations, including but not limited to class size requirements, teacher8 |
|---|
| 16 | 15 | | salary minimums, special education provisions, curriculum standards, and operational9 |
|---|
| 17 | 16 | | guidelines; and10 |
|---|
| 18 | 17 | | WHEREAS, all but two of Georgia's 180 local school systems currently hold class size11 |
|---|
| 19 | 18 | | waivers, potentially impacting student learning environments and teacher workload; and12 |
|---|
| 20 | 19 | | WHEREAS, local school systems utilizing waivers may also modify compensation13 |
|---|
| 21 | 20 | | structures, certification requirements, teacher planning time, and student support services,14 |
|---|
| 22 | 21 | | S. R. 476 |
|---|
| 23 | 22 | | - 1 - 25 LC 61 0247 |
|---|
| 24 | 23 | | raising questions about the long-term effects on educator retention and instructional quality; |
|---|
| 25 | 24 | | 15 |
|---|
| 26 | 25 | | and16 |
|---|
| 27 | 26 | | WHEREAS, the Georgia State Board of Education recently extended all existing waivers for17 |
|---|
| 28 | 27 | | an additional five years, underscoring the need for a comprehensive review of their18 |
|---|
| 29 | 28 | | implementation, effectiveness, and oversight; and19 |
|---|
| 30 | 29 | | WHEREAS, a thorough study is necessary to assess whether the flexibility provided by20 |
|---|
| 31 | 30 | | waivers has enhanced educational outcomes, improved operational efficiency, and21 |
|---|
| 32 | 31 | | maintained equity and accountability across local school systems.22 |
|---|
| 33 | 32 | | NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:23 |
|---|
| 34 | 33 | | (1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Study Committee24 |
|---|
| 35 | 34 | | on Local School System Flexibility Options.25 |
|---|
| 36 | 35 | | (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of six members of the26 |
|---|
| 37 | 36 | | Senate to be appointed as follows:27 |
|---|
| 38 | 37 | | (A) Four members appointed by the President of the Senate; and28 |
|---|
| 39 | 38 | | (B) Two members appointed by the Senate Minority Leader. 29 |
|---|
| 40 | 39 | | The President shall designate a member of the committee as chairperson of the30 |
|---|
| 41 | 40 | | committee.31 |
|---|
| 42 | 41 | | (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,32 |
|---|
| 43 | 42 | | issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or33 |
|---|
| 44 | 43 | | legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.34 |
|---|
| 45 | 44 | | (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee35 |
|---|
| 46 | 45 | | may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or36 |
|---|
| 47 | 46 | | convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and37 |
|---|
| 48 | 47 | | accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.38 |
|---|
| 49 | 48 | | S. R. 476 |
|---|
| 50 | 49 | | - 2 - 25 LC 61 0247 |
|---|
| 51 | 50 | | (5) Allowances and funding. |
|---|
| 52 | 51 | | 39 |
|---|
| 53 | 52 | | (A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided40 |
|---|
| 54 | 53 | | for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.41 |
|---|
| 55 | 54 | | (B) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member42 |
|---|
| 56 | 55 | | of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds43 |
|---|
| 57 | 56 | | necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds44 |
|---|
| 58 | 57 | | appropriated to the Senate.45 |
|---|
| 59 | 58 | | (6) Report.46 |
|---|
| 60 | 59 | | (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that47 |
|---|
| 61 | 60 | | include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the48 |
|---|
| 62 | 61 | | same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to49 |
|---|
| 63 | 62 | | subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.50 |
|---|
| 64 | 63 | | (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for51 |
|---|
| 65 | 64 | | proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)52 |
|---|
| 66 | 65 | | of this paragraph.53 |
|---|
| 67 | 66 | | (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of54 |
|---|
| 68 | 67 | | abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.55 |
|---|
| 69 | 68 | | A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with56 |
|---|
| 70 | 69 | | the Secretary of the Senate.57 |
|---|
| 71 | 70 | | (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary58 |
|---|
| 72 | 71 | | of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.59 |
|---|
| 73 | 72 | | (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.60 |
|---|
| 74 | 73 | | S. R. 476 |
|---|
| 75 | 74 | | - 3 - |
|---|