House Ed Committee Passes Bills Including Legislation Expediting IEP Review for Foster Care Students

Meeting Highlights:

  • House Education Committee passes charter school “clean-up” bill, foster care IEP bill, and charter school allotment bill.

  • Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) presents on state assessments.

The House Education Committee met today and passed three bills:

HB 957  by Rep. Jan Jones (R-Milton) is a “clean-up” bill that seeks revisions to elements of current law related to charter schools.  CLICK HERE  to read more information about the provisions in the bill as reported in PAGE’s Day 18 Capitol Report. The committee amended the bill to prevent third-party vendors from selling student records. The bill passed with one dissenting vote.

HB 855  by Rep. Marcus Wiedower (R-Watkinsville) would allow for the immediate assessment of students that enter foster care to determine if they qualify for an individualized education program (IEP). The students would continue to be required to qualify for IEPs to receive services, but the process will begin more quickly. Wiedower cited increased transiency rates for foster care students as the need for the bill. The bill passed the committee unanimously.

HB 755  by Rep. Dave Belton (R-Buckhead) requires local boards of education that authorize local charter schools to provide those schools with annual allotment sheets itemizing state, local, and federal allocations for the upcoming school year. School districts must provide the allotment sheets to the charter schools no later than Oct. 1 of each year. The bill passed the committee unanimously. 

Committee members also heard a presentation from Stephen Pruitt, president of the SREB, on the history and purpose of state assessments.

-Josh Stephens