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Committee approves bill letting homeschool students take SAT/ACT at resident schools
Summary
The Senate Education Committee voted to pass Senate Bill 63, sponsored by Sen. Dixon, to allow homeschool students to register to take PSAT/SAT/ACT (and pre-ACT) at their resident public schools and, where enrolled students are not charged, to avoid per-test fees.
Sen. Randy Dixon told the Senate Education Committee he filed Senate Bill 63 (LC 610062) to give homeschool students access to college-entrance testing at their resident public schools. "It's simply a bill, for homeschoolers, and it simply, would allow them to take, their PSAT, their SAT, their ACT or the pre ACT, test at their resident school," Dixon said.
The bill would require homeschool families to register their children with the school system — "They would have to register like every other student would so the the school system would have the information of the child," Dixon said — and would let local systems accommodate testing needs and seating arrangements for students who require spacing or other accommodations. Dixon said the bill responds to inconsistent local practice in some counties, and cited Gwinnett County where families have reported that some years the district allowed homeschool testing at a single designated location and other years it did not, creating travel and cost burdens.
Committee discussion included objections that the proposal could create a disparity with enrolled students who lack access to certain tests. One committee member raised that many enrolled students in parts of South Georgia must pay to take AP exams and that expanding fee waivers for homeschoolers while some enrolled students face costs raised equity concerns (comment unattributed in the record). The transcript records no formal motion to create a new statewide AP-fee waiver as part of this bill.
A motion to pass the bill was made and seconded in committee and the measure was approved. The committee recorded three members as opposed; the transcript does not list a full yes-tally.
Why it matters: Supporters said the bill reduces logistical and cost barriers for homeschool families who already pay local school taxes but have lacked predictable access to on‑site testing. Critics said the measure highlights broader access and equity issues for enrolled students who must pay for some exams in parts of the state.
What happens next: The committee approved the bill for committee action; the bill record (LC 610062) will move to the next step in the legislative process as determined by Senate rules. The transcript does not specify a committee report date or final floor schedule.
