$6,500 school vouchers coming to Georgia as bill gets final passage and heads to governor

ATLANTA (AP) — Proclaiming that “education is truly the great equalizer,” Gov Brian Kemp signed a law on Tuesday that will give up to $6,500 a year to some Georgia families to pay for private school tuition or home-schooling expenses.

It’s a victory for the Republican governor, whose support helped push a bill across the finish line that failed in 2023, delivering a priority that had eluded conservative activists for years. The achievement burnishes Kemp’s conservative credentials if he runs for the U.S. Senate or president in the future. The Georgia effort is part of a nationwide GOP wave favoring education savings accounts.

Kemp signed other education-related bills Tuesday, including one requiring parents to give permission before children younger than 16 could create social media accounts. Similar measures have been blocked in other states by legal challenges.