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Senate committee approves bill letting homeschool students take college-prep tests at resident public schools
Summary
A Senate education committee voted to advance legislation allowing homeschool students to take PSAT, SAT, ACT and Pre-ACT tests at their resident public schools if they register; the measure also ties any test fee for homeschoolers to whether enrolled students are charged.
Senate lawmakers on the Education and Youth Committee voted to advance legislation that would let homeschool students take college-entrance and college-prep exams at their resident public school, provided they follow the same registration requirements as other students.
Sponsor Senator Dixon told the committee that Senate Bill 63 would let homeschool students take the PSAT, SAT, ACT or Pre-ACT “at their resident school,” and that homeschool families would register so school systems would have student information. Dixon said local practices vary: “Currently in Gwinnett, had issues with homeschoolers ... Gwinnett would some years would allow them to take it and other years they wouldn't.”
The bill ties fees for homeschool students to the school system’s treatment of enrolled students. As Dixon described it, if a district does not charge its enrolled students to take the exam, it may not require payment from homeschool students; if the district charges enrolled students a fee, homeschool students would be charged the same. Dixon said homeschoolers would register like other students so the district could plan testing logistics and seating.
Committee members discussed access and equity. Dixon said some Gwinnett test locations can require long drives across the county. A member who identified themselves as a parent of AP students raised access concerns for South Georgia and said many enrolled students face charges to take AP tests; that member said, “I’m gonna be a no—not exactly because I'm totally opposed to your particular issue, but I don't think that we need to be paying for things for homeschool students when we're not covering our own kids to be able to even take APs.”
Another committee member asked whether the bill would require districts to waive fees; a committee member clarified that the legislation would prevent districts from charging homeschool students when they do not charge their own enrolled students, and would require the same fee when a fee is assessed for enrolled students.
The committee moved to pass the bill. The chair called the vote and, after a count, announced “3 opposed.” The bill was reported favorably out of committee.
Votes at a glance: Senate Bill 63 — motion to pass reported favorably by the Education and Youth Committee; chair announced “3 opposed.”
The measure now proceeds as a committee-approved bill (reported favorably) for further consideration in the Senate.
