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Committee hears bill to extend TCSG dual‑achievement pilot from five to 10 years
Summary
A presenter explained House Bill 217 would extend the Technical College System of Georgia pilot that lets former high‑school students earn diplomas and technical credentials at five sites, and shift the program review date to November 15. Lawmakers asked whether the bill expands site counts; the presenter said it does not.
A presenter on behalf of the Technical College System of Georgia told the committee that House Bill 217 would extend an existing dual‑achievement pilot from five years to 10 years and move the program’s statutory review date to Nov. 15 so the review occurs before session starts.
The bill, the presenter said, continues a program created and funded by SB 204 in February 2021 that allows students who withdrew from high school to attend five TCSG pilot sites to earn a high school diploma and college credentials. “We wanted to go ahead and extend it to 10 years, to continue to track its progress,” the presenter said.
Committee members asked whether the bill increases the number of physical pilot sites. The presenter replied it does not, but said 15 additional TCSG partner colleges offer classes at their campuses and that virtual high‑school classes are available through those partners.
A committee member noted the pilot was originally drafted as permanent in committee but was changed to an extension to allow the state to evaluate implementation options and the balance of physical and virtual sites. The presenter confirmed the change and that the extension would allow lawmakers to evaluate scaling options.
No formal vote on HB 217 is recorded in the provided transcript segment.
