Georgia's pending "School Choice!" bill excludes illegal alien students - here's how

SB 233 School choice legislation excludes illegal alien students — but not “parents.”

Click here to see the entire bill current as of today : LC 49 1473S

Note the LC # and line numbers will change if the language is adjusted. We predict exactly that.

For folks not accustomed to dealing with legislation, see line 72: “(a) A student shall qualify for a promise scholarship account under this chapter if:”

Then go down to lines 82 & 83: “The student does not meet any of the ineligibility criteria provided for in subsection (b) of Code Section 20-3-519.1; (This code section defines eligibility for scholarships and grants and yes, they used a double negative).

What does subsection (b) say about ineligibility?

This:(b) A student is ineligible for any scholarship or grant described in this part if the student:

* (1) Is not a United States citizen or a permanent resident alien who meets the definition of an eligible noncitizen under federal Title IV requirements;

(2) Has not complied with United States Selective Service System requirements for registration, if such requirements are applicable to the student;

(3) Is in default on a federal Title IV educational loan or a State of Georgia educational loan, provided that a student who is otherwise eligible and has fully repaid the defaulted loan will be eligible to obtain a scholarship or grant for future academic terms but not retroactively;

(4) Owes a refund on a federal Title IV student financial aid program or a Georgia student financial aid program, provided that a student who is otherwise eligible and has fully paid the refund owed will be eligible to obtain a scholarship or grant for future academic terms but not retroactively;

(5) Has been convicted of a felony offense involving marijuana, a controlled substance, or a dangerous drug as set out in Code Section 20-1-23 or 20-1-24 of the “Drug-free Postsecondary Education Act of 1990,” provided that such ineligibility extends from the date of conviction to the completion of the next academic term;

(6) Is incarcerated; or

(7) Does not meet each qualification listed in the Code section relating to the relevant scholarship or grant and applicable to the student.

There is along and quite interesting story from last year about this time behind all this. I’ll save it for after the 2024 session.

The below open records request to TCSG is pasted in reverse order – my original ORR is on the bottom., most recent reply on top.

D.A. King,

Thank you for your patience, D.A., and for taking the time to submit your Open Records Request. Pursuant to subparagraph (b)(I)(A) of O.C.G.A. 50-18-71, we are responding in a reasonable timeframe. You have requested copies of SAVE affidavits, applications, and Secure and Verifiable ID documents collected from specified employer participants in the apprenticeship program.

At this time, the requested records do not exist. The awarded companies were recently announced, and we are in the initial stages of the contracting process. This process includes the hiring of apprentices, submission of required documentation, and the verification of information prior to contracts to be drafted and executed.

It is anticipated that the requested records may become available by late February or early March. It would be best to submit a new request at that time to obtain the information.

Should you have any additional questions or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

When submitting future requests, use our ORR portal: Legal Services – TCSG | Technical College System of Georgia

Kind regards,

Leigh Keever

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Leigh Keever, M.A.

Policy Coordinator

Office of Legal Services

Technical College System of Georgia

1800 Century Place, NE, Ste. 400

Atlanta, GA 30345

404-679-4971–office

lkeever@tcsg.edu |www.TCSG.edu

_________________

From: D. A. King <dk
Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 11:32 AM
To: Keever, Leigh <lkeever@tcsg.edu>
Subject: Re: ORR

CAUTION:This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.

Thank you.

dak

Sent from my iPhone

_________

On Dec 3, 2024, at 11:28 AM, Keever, Leigh <lkeever@tcsg.edu> wrote:

Mr. King,

Thank you for contacting the TCSG with your Open Records Act request. Pursuant to subparagraph (b)(I)(A) of O.C.G.A. 50-18-71 we wanted to notify you that the breadth of acquiring the requested data will take longer than the 3-day period. We anticipate having the documents you are requesting to you no later than Friday the 13^th of December.

We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Kind regards,

Leigh Keever

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Leigh Keever, M.A.

Policy Coordinator

Office of Legal Services

Technical College System of Georgia

1800 Century Place, NE, Ste. 400

Atlanta, GA 30345

404-679-4971–office

lkeever@tcsg.edu |www.TCSG.edu

___________________

From: D.A. King <>
Sent: Monday, December 2, 2024 10:15 AM
To: Keever, Leigh <lkeever@tcsg.edu>; D’Alessio, Mark <MDAlessio@tcsg.edu>
Subject: ORR

Please regard this email as my official open record request for copies of documents pertaining to compliance with OCGA 50-36-1 in the HDAP Apprenticeship Program.

Please send me copies of SAVE affidavits, applications, and Secure and Verifiable ID collected from the below employer participants in the apprenticeship program. I understand that there may be some redaction.

5 Points Electrical

Ace Electric Inc.

All & Everything LLC

Ascendum Machinery Inc

B & W Mechanical Contractors, Inc.

Bargeron Electric Company LLC

Caterpillar BCP, Inc.

Croy Electrical Inc.

Silver Sheet Metal

Delta Plumbing Inc.

Thank you,

D.A. King.