Georgia Voucher Program

The Georgia Legislature enacted a special education voucher program in 2007. The program is modeled after Florida's McKay voucher program for special education students, despite virtually no objective evidence of how that program is working or what taxpayers are receiving for their investment. More than 100 private schools have been approved to participate in the Georgia program for its upcoming first school year. Children with disabilities must gain admission to participating private schools and parents are being notified that claiming a voucher "shall have the same effect as a parental refusal to consent to services pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act." As with Florida's program, participating private schools do not actually have to provide special education services. The amount of the voucher will vary depending on the student's disability but it will be equal to the amount of state funds the public school would have received for the student's education or the cost of the private school tuition, whichever is less.