MACON, Ga. — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill on April 23 that provides money for some students to attend Georgia private schools.
Senate Bill 233 is a bill that offers $6,500 to students and families that have transferred from low-performing public schools to private schools and aims to cover any additional expenses.
Kemp calls it the "Georgia Promise Scholarship" and it can help pay for tuition and any additional expenses.
Private schools here in Central Georgia are choosing whether to take on the bill.
However, schools such as First Presbyterian Day School, Covenant Academy, St. Joseph's Catholic School, Windsor Adacemy, and others say they do not have much information.
According to a statement from First Presbyterian Day School’s head of school Dr. John Patterson: "While we support school choice for all students, we do not believe this new law is aggressive enough to allow the vast majority of students in middle Georgia access to great academic institutions like FPD. We pray that SB233 is merely a stepping stone to a universal school choice bill, adopted by many other states, which will dramatically change the landscape for families to choose the best option for their children."
According to the Bibb County School District, they are looking into how the law will affect them.
It will not go into effect until the 2025-2026 school year.
The governor also signed a bill that bans social media use on devices and internet services within schools.
Senate Bill 351 requires children younger than 16 to have their parent's permission to create a social media account.
The bill also orders social media platforms to verify if a user is 18 years or older if its content is harmful to minors.
Also, Senate Bill 395 was another bill that was signed that requires all public schools, including charter schools, to purchase and maintain a supply of opioid-reversal drugs on campus.
They must keep them in a secure location where "an individual may have an opioid overdose."