ATLANTA – State Representative Sandra Scott (D-Rex) recently introduced House Bill 10, or the “Support Students Living in Poverty” Act, to provide additional resources to certain students who may be living in poverty.
“House Bill 10 could send $343 million dollars to educate students living in poverty,” said Rep. Scott. “The pandemic has shown everyone what some folks have known for a while, which is that we need to prioritize all kids’ educations – not just kids in the middle or upper class. This funding would be tied to needs that schools recognized with input from their communities through the comprehensive needs assessments.”
House Bill 10 would examine the program weights and funding requirements under the Quality Basic Education Act to issue grants that benefit students in poverty. Using funds appropriated by the Georgia General Assembly, the State Board of Education (BOE) would issue grant funding to local units of administration for programming geared towards these students in need. Under HB 10, students in poverty would include students whose family unit is enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and/or the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, students who are experiencing homelessness, students in foster care or migrant students.
“Compared to other states, Georgia ranks 49th in the education of students who live in poverty,” added Rep. Scott. “Georgia is one of only eight states that does not provide additional funding for students living in poverty. Additional money in the funding formula specifically for students living in poverty would help improve outcomes for these children and would enhance the entire state’s education system.”
For more information on HB 10, please click here.
Representative Sandra Scott represents the citizens of District 76, which includes portions of Clayton and Henry counties. She was first elected to the House Representatives in 2010 and currently serves on the Defense & Veterans Affairs, Human Relations & Aging, Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment, Science and Technology and Special Rules committees.
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