Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Act, which goes into effect July 1. | Facebook/Brian P. Kemp
Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Act, which goes into effect July 1. | Facebook/Brian P. Kemp
Georgia's Special Needs Scholarship Act expands the special education voucher program for private schooling to include more students.
The law expands Georgia’s special education voucher program to a greater number of students, including autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and dyslexia, who have a 504 plan and formal diagnosis from a licensed doctor. It also allows preschoolers to participate, the Georgia Center for Opportunity reported.
"This legislation has opened the doors for students with special needs to pursue a private school option when the public school just is not working for their individual needs," said Sen. Steve Gooch, (R-Dahlonega), FOX5 Atlanta reported.
After passing the GA legislature with mainly Republican support, Georgia Senate Bill 47 was signed by Governor Brian Kemp on May 6 and will go into effect on July 1, 2021. The law is called the Special Needs Scholarship Act, the Georgia General Assembly website reported.
The law gives immediate access for students adopted from foster care, The Georgia Center for Opportunity said. It also expands in-person programs for special needs students, which is an important step following the COVID-19 pandemic, the website said..
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