Committee advances bill to tighten accountability for locally run virtual schools
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Summary
A committee advanced House Bill 1259 to restore funding and performance rules for virtual schools after audits found low academic scores and questionable fund allocation; sponsor said the bill protects school choice by ensuring funds are used for instruction.
House Bill 1259, introduced to the committee as LC640067s, was moved forward Tuesday after the sponsor summarized a Department of Audits and Accounts review that found some locally run virtual programs had low CCRPI scores and were not directing most state funds to instruction. "The goal of this legislation is to preserve the integrity of school choice by preventing possible bad actor from taking money meant for student instruction and showing little to no results on student achievement," the presenter told the committee.
The bill would require minimum accountability and outcome standards for virtual schools enrolling out-of-district students and would reinstate a prior requirement that limited out-of-district enrollment unless a local system spent a high proportion of funds on virtual instruction and reported CCRPI data. The sponsor cited historical examples, including Montgomery Academy and Jenkins County Virtual Preparatory Academy, and said reviews showed those programs had CCRPI scores well below district and statewide averages.
Committee members did not press for extended debate; a motion "do pass" was offered and the committee approved the bill by voice vote. The transcript records the sponsor asking the committee to consider the measure and standing for questions before the committee moved it forward.
Next steps: The committee voted to advance HB1259 to the next committee or rules stage. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally; the committee approved the motion by voice vote.
