Georgia House Blue‑Ribbon Study Committee Meets on Education Metrics, Tax Reform

The Georgia House Blue‑Ribbon Study Committee on Education Performance Metrics and Workforce Stability, chaired by State Representative Bethany Ballard, convened its first meeting on August 5, 2026 in Perry. Testimony was heard from Houston County Superintendent Dr. Richard Rogers, Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Steven Hornyak, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Elgin Mayfield and Executive Director Dr. Juli Alligood about the College and Career Ready Performance Index and its effect on teacher recruitment and retention.

A separate session of the House Blue‑Ribbon Study Committee on Local Government Taxation, Funding, and Budgeting took place on July 22, 2026 in Cartersville. Representatives of the Georgia School Boards Association, the Georgia School Superintendents Association and other local‑government groups discussed SB 33, a property‑tax reform that creates a floating homestead exemption and limits local tax‑rate increases. Advocates warned that the change could restrict local revenue sources that fund schools, which receive roughly half of their funding from property taxes.