James_Sept-Oct_2025_web - Flipbook - Page 84
school in the 26th percentile— or
56th percentile, or even 96th percentile— whose educational needs
aren’t being met. Not because
those schools are somehow worse,
but because every child is different.
That’s why the Promise Scholarship
needs to be expanded to serve all
students who need it, regardless of
where they live.
Despite some critics’ claims
that not everyone has access to
options besides public schools,
particularly in rural areas, students
from all over the state are receiving
a Promise Scholarship. That includes urban areas, suburbs, small
towns and some of Georgia’s most
sparsely populated counties.
How are families in very rural
areas finding other options? The
data doesn’t report recipients’
plans for using the funds by the
district where they live. But the
statewide data show a variety of
usages: 64 percent plan to attend
Despite some critics’
claims that not everyone
has access to options
besides public schools,
students from all over
the state are receiving a
Promise Scholarship.
an approved private school, 16
percent plan to homeschool, 14
percent plan to spend the money
on other approved services such
as tutoring or therapists, and 6
percent had yet to decide.
Besides expanding eligibility, the program could use some
other enhancements. For example,
some approved remote learning
programs offer courses that would
qualify for Promise Scholarship
93Education
% Offer Financial
Services
Financial
Education
$765M
in Small
Business Loans
Small
Business Loans
Provided in 2025
in Financial
$435M
to
Benefits Consumers
Financial
Benefits
84
JAMES SEPTE M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 5
dollars— except their instructors are certified by other states.
They’re eligible to have their certification recognized in Georgia, but
the effort may not be worthwhile
for a teacher who might serve
only a handful of Georgia students
remotely (as opposed to someone
who has relocated here and wants
a full-time job at a Georgia school).
A solution to this dilemma would
open more learning opportunities
for Promise students.
Don’t tell parents that there’s
nowhere else to go. They pay
attention, and they’re resourceful.
They just don’t always have the
money to pay for another option
on their own.
While there’s always room for
improvement, overall it has been
a promising start for thousands of
Georgians.
Kyle Wingfield is the CEO and president of the
Georgia Public Policy Foundation.
