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Georgia’s new voucher program is starting, with lower demand than expected By TY TAGAMI Capitol Beat ATLANTA —Thousands of Georgians will soon be spending money from the state’s new subsidy for private K-12 education, as the first quarterly payouts appear in “promise scholarship” accounts.
More than 15,000 students applied for one of the $6,500 annual subsidies, and about 8,500 were approved. That means the state is on track to give about $55 million in taxpayer dollars — far less than budgeted — to families that have chosen private schooling over
attendance at their nearby lowperforming public school. To qualify for the payments, most students had to spend a year attending one of the nearly 500 public schools performing in the bottom quarter of state academic measures. But the youngest students
have a way around that requirement. Under last year’s law establishing the payments, often referred to as a “voucher,” rising kindergartners need not have attended public school to qualify.
See VOUCHER, Page 12
Georgia Attorney General visits community group By SARAH COYNE sarah@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr paid the Rotary Club of Roswell a visit July 24. More than 150 Rotary members and guests attended the meeting at Roswell Area Park to hear about Carr’s work. The club chose to bring Carr out to talk about his campaigns to address human trafficking, organized crime and opioid addiction.
See CARR, Page 12 Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr speaks to the Rotary Club of Roswell on July 24. SARAH COYNE/APPEN MEDIA
ROI
matters.
FORSYTH COUNTY/PROVIDED
Forsyth County CFO Brian Clark delivers a presentation on the proposed 2025 millage rate to commissioners July 22.
Commercial tax digest keeps rising By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County officials noted the commercial tax digest is growing faster than the residential base, signaling success in the effort to control growth.
“That is definitely something we are interested in seeing,” CFO Brian Clark said at the first of three millage rate hearings July 22. A second and third hearing are scheduled for 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Aug. 7 in the Forsyth County Administration Building, 110 E. Main St. A
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vote will be called at 6:30 p.m. The county’s commercial tax base grew 12.98 percent compared to 3.49 percent the previous year. The residential tax digest grew 7.99 percent compared to 9.32 percent.
See TAX, Page 15
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