This year marks the 15th anniversary of National School Choice Week and an important moment in the history of the school choice movement. Educational freedom and opportunity has come a long way in 15 years, and even compared to a year ago, school choice in Georgia is in a very different position. It also faces a different set of challenges.
Last year saw the landmark passage of Promise Scholarship Accounts, which, beginning in fall 2025, will provide $6,500 per school year to be used by participating K-12 students toward non-public education options including tuition, tutoring, transportation and more.
Promise Scholarships offer unprecedented opportunity and access to quality education for Georgia students and families, but it was just one of many school choice victories across the country.
Since the establishment of National School Choice Week, the educational freedom movement has grown from a small group of educators and activists into a national phenomenon that has changed the way we talk about education.
Last year, Gov. Brian Kemp’s official acknowledgement of National School Choice Week was seen as a signal both of the movement’s importance and that Georgia was ready to enact school choice reform. This year, 17 governors and the U.S. Department of Education, under the new administration of President Trump, acknowledged School Choice Week as well. The Department of Education announced its recognition, “in line with President Trump’s unwavering commitment to expanding school choice and ensuring all American students have access to high-quality education.”
This week’s commentary looks at what School Choice Week means and what the future of school choice looks like in Georgia. We also have the latest news and analysis from the last week, including:
- Gov. Kemp outlines tort reform agenda
- Nation’s Report Card shows continued declines in reading for U.S. students
- Ports of Savannah and Brunswick report healthy growth
- Trump signs Laken Riley Act into law
Have a great weekend,
– Kyle Wingfield
Friday’s Freshest
Kemp makes strongest push yet for tort reform
As Gov. Brian Kemp enters his home stretch as governor, he can point to progress on multiple fronts. He can claim a healthy record of employment growth, unprecedented budget surpluses that have driven tax rates lower (including another, just-announced tax cut) and moves to protect Georgia’s right-to-work status. But Georgia’s legal environment has deteriorated to the point that it threatens all the other good work that policy makers have done over the decades.
Members of Georgia’s legal and business communities warn that wealthy financiers, whether here or overseas, could quietly bankroll civil litigation lawsuits that could not only bankrupt big business but also jeopardize America’s national security. They believe that this is happening through a burgeoning legal mechanism known as third-party litigation funding.
Personal responsibility drives public policy
Public policy commonly addresses obligations, particularly those where access to a public space (the roads) is already controlled by the government (through the licensing of drivers, among other ways). In these cases, it’s legitimate for public policy to set the standard for gaining access. Or as generations of parents have explained to their teenagers, driving is not a right but a privilege. But the law can only do so much. At some point, personal responsibility is required.
The lost role of school board leadership
Only one-third of American fourth-graders read at grade level, and math proficiency has plummeted to decades-low levels. But you wouldn’t know it from most school board meetings, where student achievement data often receives less attention than the new locker room decor. This disconnect is the result of a gradual but profound shift in how school board members view their roles – from ensuring student success to merely observing administrative processes.
Use the Promise Scholarship to homeschool, if you want
There has long been a belief in the homeschool community that you should never accept government funds of any kind. The thinking was that if you are willing to accept government funds, you open your doors to government intrusion. It was essentially a “we won’t bother you if you don’t bother us” mentality. But why should families consider using the Promise Scholarship to homeschool?
The Latest
Economy
Kemp requests $614M in Georgia hurricane relief
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp wants to amend the fiscal year 2025 budget to include more than $614 million in hurricane relief. The governor’s planned presentation on mid-year adjustments and next year’s budget to the Joint Appropriations Committee was canceled because of bad weather, so the governor released his recommendations online. The governor reiterated his plan for a reduction in the income tax from 5.39% to 5.19%. The cut would save taxpayers $7.5 billion over the next 10 years, Kemp said.
Ports of Savannah and Brunswick report healthy growth
The Georgia Ports Authority is reporting a strong first half to the current fiscal year. The Port of Savannah handled more than 2.8 million units of containerized cargo from July through December, an increase of 11.4% over the same period the previous year. The Port of Brunswick moved 443,763 units of Roll-on/Roll-off cargo during the first half of fiscal 2025, up 7.5% over the first six months of the previous fiscal year.
Athens economy likely set for fast growth this year as development, UGA expand
Athens will likely see “faster growth” this year due to private sector development and increasing student enrollment at the University of Georgia, an economic expert recently told a gathering at the 2025 Georgia Economic Outlook luncheon.
Education
The Nation’s Report Card shows declines in reading
The Nation’s Report Card shows continued declines in reading for U.S. students. In 2024, average reading scores on The Nation’s Report Card declined by 2 points for both fourth and eighth grade students compared to 2022. The 2024 results show that fewer than a third of students nationwide are working at the NAEP “Proficient” level in reading at both grades.
Let’s hear it from the faculty: What professors are thinking
Almost 40% of all respondents said that a conservative would be a very or somewhat poor fit for their department. By contrast, 71% said a liberal would be a very or somewhat positive fit. It’s thus not surprising that 55% of conservatives at least occasionally hid their political beliefs from their colleagues.
UGA announces $1.7M in security upgrades
University of Georgia President Jere Morehead announced $1.7 million will be put toward additional campus safety projects during his State of the University address. The announcement comes the same day President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law, which was named in honor of the former UGA student who was killed last year.
How state governments can fight degree inflation
State governments have significantly exacerbated the phenomenon of degree inflation, where jobs increasingly require college degrees that were not previously necessary. State hiring practices and stringent occupational licensing laws perpetuate this trend. These policies restrict access to various professions, create labor shortages, and reduce the return to a college education for many students.
Government accountability
Kemp unveils plan to tackle tort reform and stabilize insurance costs
Governor Brian Kemp, joined by Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, Speaker Jon Burns, Commissioner John King and leaders from industries across Georgia, unveiled his tort reform package that levels the playing field in our courtrooms, bans hostile foreign powers from taking advantage of consumers and legal proceedings, aims to stabilize insurance costs for businesses and consumers, increases transparency and fairness, and ensures Georgia continues to be the best place to live, work, and raise a family.
Lawmaker files bill to address Georgia’s taxation through citation problem
A Georgia lawmaker is trying to pump the brakes on a long-time police practice that generates millions for small cities off the backs of drivers. Rep. Joseph Gullett, R-Dallas, filed a bill that would cap the amount of revenue cities can collect from fines and forfeitures through traffic enforcement at 10% of their annual budgets. The Foundation has previously reviewed taxation by citation in three Georgia cities that relied heavily on fines and fees for their revenue.
Bill targets immunity for local officials in sanctuary cities
A bill that would remove legal immunity from elected officials in sanctuary cities that do not cooperate with immigration officials is moving through the Georgia Senate. Senate Bill 21, sponsored by Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, also requires jails to hold inmates arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Georgia landowners fighting railroad land seizures in Fulton court
A Fulton County Superior Court judge was sympathetic Tuesday morning to several middle Georgia homeowners whose property has been seized through eminent domain, but was unsure if any legal remedies are available to them. The hearing centered on a proposal from the Sandersville Railroad Company, which wants to claim nine condemned sites in Sparta, Ga. The Foundation has previously covered this dispute and what the project would mean to the small community.
Property taxes
Georgians voted to limit property taxes on homes. Many school districts are opting out.
Georgians voted in November to limit how much of a home’s increasing value can be taxed, but many school districts across the state are opting out of the cap, meaning homeowners may not benefit. A survey by the Georgia School Superintendents Association finds half or more of Georgia’s 180 school districts have started the legal process to get out from under the law’s limits.
Bill would give governments more time to opt out of homestead exemption
A bill in the Georgia House that would give local governments until May 1 to opt out of a homestead exemption is moving. House Bill 581 freezes property assessments at the rate of inflation. The General Assembly passed the bill last year, and 63% of Georgia voters approved it in November. But several entities are taking advantage of a provision that allows them to opt out if they hold three public hearings by March 1.
Bonus
Trump signs Laken Riley Act into law
President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law on Wednesday, marking the first piece of legislation to become law in his second administration. The measure, named after the University of Georgia nursing student who was killed by an illegal immigrant, directs Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain illegal immigrants arrested or charged with theft-related crimes, or those accused of assaulting a police officer.
Georgia Chief Justice Boggs pitches judicial pay raises
Georgia Chief Justice Michael Boggs used his annual State of the Judiciary address to members of the General Assembly to plug two bills raising the salaries of superior court and statewide judges. Boggs also praised lawmakers for passing a Senate bill last year aimed at improving security for judges by shielding their personal information such as addresses and phone numbers from the public.
Analyzing President Trump’s executive orders
From energy to the border to TikTok, President Donald Trump has issued a flurry of executive orders. The Heritage Foundation’s policy experts provide analysis on these orders.
Quotes of Note
“While the federal government continues to run up massive deficits and states like California and New York are raising taxes on their already overburdened citizens, we are showing the nation how a state lives within its means, meets its budget priorities, and gives families back their hard-earned money.” – Gov. Brian Kemp
“Our family will forever be grateful for the prayers of people across our nation and for helping to pass this legislation. He (Trump) said he would secure our borders and that he would never forget Laken. And he hasn’t.” – Allyson Phillips, Laken Riley’s mother
“Today’s NAEP results reveal a heartbreaking reality for American students and confirm our worst fears: not only did most students not recover from pandemic-related learning loss, but those students who were the most behind and needed the most support have fallen even further behind. Despite the billions of dollars that the federal government invests in K-12 education annually, and the approximately $190 billion in federal pandemic funds, our education system continues to fail students across the nation.” – U.S. Department of Education
