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IDRA Urges State Leaders to Recommit to Fully Funding Georgia’s Public Schools Instead of Expanding Privatization

• By Mikayla Arciaga, M.A.Ed. • IDRA Newsletter • March 2026 •

Georgia’s decision to join the federal voucher program raises concerns about funding strain, accountability and impacts on public schools.

On January 20, 2026, Gov. Kemp announced that Georgia will opt into a federal private school voucher program that provides tax credits to donors to voucher organizations in the state. He made this decision without public input or public consultation with the legislature.

It is deeply concerning and a violation of wisdom, justice and moderation at a moment when Georgia’s public schools face growing fiscal and structural challenges.

The overwhelming majority of Georgians send their children to public schools, particularly schools serving rural communities, students with disabilities and students from low-income families.

Wise governance demands that we strengthen – not weaken – the institutions which serve most of our children. But voucher programs divert scarce public resources toward private schools that are not held to the same standards of transparency, accountability or nondiscrimination laws. This weakens the public education systems on which communities rely.

The federal voucher provides a dollar-for-dollar tax credit of up to $1,700 per year to people who donate to scholarship-granting organizations, which then issue vouchers to individual families. This money would otherwise go to public schools that serve the vast majority of students.

Research estimates that the federal voucher could funnel away tens of billions of dollars each year from the public good to private institutions (Davis, 2025).

This is not a theoretical concern. Georgia’s Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit Voucher program has been repeatedly criticized by the Department of Audits for failing to adequately account for hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars (Griffin, 2021).

And the reporting requirements for the Special Needs Scholarship Voucher and the Georgia Promise Voucher are so minimal that meaningful evaluation or public accountability is impossible.

The governor’s decision also comes amid growing fiscal uncertainty for Georgia’s public education system. After decades of austerity cuts and stagnant funding, state divestment from our public schools has left many communities bearing more than their fair share of the cost.

Federal pandemic relief funds have expired, and additional federal education and social service cuts are under consideration. Many school districts are already preparing for budget shortfalls which will affect staffing levels, student support and classroom resources.

As the state continues to divest from public education, districts are increasingly reliant on local property wealth to fill funding gaps. The state is placing a heavier burden on communities with the least capacity to absorb it.

Moderation calls for responsible stewardship of public funds. Taxpayer dollars should not be directed to private systems that are not accountable to the public.

Justice requires restitution for the historic underfunding of our public schools and the shortcomings of existing school privatization schemes rather than diverting additional resources from public schools. Opting into the federal voucher program does nothing to address these structural challenges and will instead deepen inequities between communities.

Wisdom calls for stabilizing public schools and protecting essential services. Diverting public funds to private vouchers under these conditions is not just misguided; it is irresponsible.

Public education is a public good. Every child deserves access to a well-resourced, fully funded public school, regardless of zip code, income, disability status or background.

Georgia’s leaders should be guided by wisdom, justice and moderation to strengthen the public systems charged with serving all students, rather than fragmenting opportunity through privatization.

IDRA calls on state leaders to reverse course. Recommit to fully funding Georgia’s public schools. Pursue policies that expand opportunity by investing in the systems that serve most children, not just a tiny few. Georgia deserves better.

Resources

Davis, C. (July 2, 2025). Megabill Takes Cap Off Unprecedented Private School Voucher Tax Credit, Potentially Raising Cost by Tens of Billions Relative to Earlier Version. Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

Griffin, G.S. (January 2021). Qualified Education Expense Credit and Student Scholarship Program – Additional measures needed to improve transparency and accountability. Report No. 20-12. Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts.

Mikayla Arciaga, M.A.Ed., is a IDRA’s Georgia advocacy director and Education Policy Fellows coordinator (mikayla.arciaga@idra.org).

FAQs 

What is the federal voucher program in Georgia?

Georgia has opted into a federal program that offers tax credits to donors who fund private school vouchers through scholarship organizations.

How could the voucher program affect public school funding in Georgia?

The program could divert public funds away from public schools, increasing financial strain on districts already facing budget challenges.

Why are there concerns about accountability in voucher programs?

Private schools receiving voucher funds are not held to the same standards of transparency, reporting or nondiscrimination as public schools.

How are Georgia public schools currently funded?

Many districts rely increasingly on local property taxes due to long-term state underfunding, creating disparities between communities.

What challenges are Georgia public schools facing now?

Schools are experiencing budget shortfalls due to expired federal relief funds, ongoing funding gaps and rising costs for staffing and services.

What is IDRA calling on Georgia leaders to do?

IDRA urges leaders to fully fund public schools and prioritize policies that strengthen public education systems rather than expand privatization.

[© 2026, IDRA. This article originally appeared in the March edition of the IDRA Newsletter. Permission to reproduce this article is granted provided the article is reprinted in its entirety and proper credit is given to IDRA and the author.]