Governor Perdue Signs Legislation Assisting Clayton County School System

Governor signs SB 480 and HB 1302; outlines other assistance

ATLANTA – Today Governor Sonny Perdue signed two pieces of legislation to help students who could be affected by the Clayton County School District’s potential loss of accreditation: SB 480 and HB 1302.  He also released a statement regarding the resignations of the two Special Liaisons he appointed earlier this year.

“Senate Bill 480 will aid Clayton County students if the school system cannot salvage its accreditation by allowing qualified students to receive the HOPE Scholarship,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “It is our hope that Clayton County students never have to take advantage of this provision, but I am signing it into law to ensure that the scholarship remains available to eligible students.”

SB 480 was sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Tommie Williams. The bill allows students from schools that are accredited “currently or within the last two years” to receive the HOPE scholarship.  Additionally, it changes the definition of eligible post-secondary schools to ensure that students wanting to attend Morris Brown College will also be able to receive the scholarship.

Governor Perdue signed HB 1302 as well. This local legislation sponsored by the Clayton County legislative delegation puts into place an extensive code of ethics for members of the Clayton County Board of Education and establishes a local ethics commission to review the actions of the school board and receive ethics complaints against board members.

As part of the state’s continuing efforts to assist Clayton County students, Governor Perdue thanked the Board of Regents and the University System of Georgia (USG) for clarifying its policy and reassuring Clayton County parents and students that USG institutions will continue to accept students from schools in the district, as long as they meet regular admission requirements.

In February, Governor Perdue appointed two Special Liaisons to serve in an advisory role and offer guidance to the Clayton County school board in completing the steps outlined by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Committee by September 1, 2008 to avoid a loss of the system’s accreditation. He also took a series of steps to help the system maintain its SACS accreditation by asking for state agency assistance in the three separate audits recommended by SACS. The state auditor’s office is reviewing audits of the school system’s finances. The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement is auditing the system’s attendance records. Governor Perdue also requested that Secretary of State Karen Handel, in her capacity as the state’s chief elections official, audit the election of the members of the Clayton County school board to ensure that such elections fully complied with Georgia law.

Today, the two Special Liaisons, Jim Bostic and Brad Bryant, announced they will no longer work directly with the Clayton County Board of Education, but will continue to assist the new school superintendent and complete the state audits ordered by Governor Perdue.

“In a state that strongly believes in local control, we have offered as much assistance as state law allows to help the system retain accreditation,” said Governor Perdue. “Dr. Bostic and Mr. Bryant had no agenda coming in to this assignment other than the best interests of the students of Clayton County. I want to thank both of them for their hard work and the effort they expended.”

Governor Perdue even proposed legislation that would have allowed the voters to remove an entire school board of a system that loses accreditation. The bill, Senate Bill 535, failed to pass this legislative session.

“The input and assistance that the state and others provided the Clayton County Board of Education to maintain the system’s accreditation have been thorough, well thought out and involved a great deal of effort,” Governor Perdue said. “It is unfortunate that the board members have treated the state’s offer of support as an intrusion rather than the assistance it was intended to be. Ultimately, under current law and the Georgia Constitution, the voters have the final authority to hold the board accountable for its actions.”

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