The committee also discussed several adjustments to Georgia's current Student Scholarship Organization (SSO) program which allows corporate and individual donors to receive tax credits in return for contributions to SSO's which provide students with vouchers to attend private schools. Tweaks to the annual start of the program and a "true up" of pledges to actual contributions can be made through Georgia Department of Revenue administrative changes.

The committee also finalized recommendations creating a new SSO program in Georgia. Citing the need to prioritize low-income students and add additional transparency and accountability measures, School Choice Committee members debated whether to enact proposed reforms on the existing SSO program or to create a new SSO program which incorporates necessary reforms.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, PAGE requested that, instead of creating a new private school voucher program diverting additional public tax dollars, the means test and accountability and transparency upgrades be applied to Georgia's current SSO program. School choice proponents such as  Students First and a Georgia SSO serving low-income students,  Arete Scholars, seconded the idea of prioritizing student financial need and strengthening transparency and accountability components of the existing SSO program. However, committee chair Nels Peterson declined to act on PAGE's recommendations.

The committee will report its recommendations at the next full ERC meeting on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015. Educators and other stakeholders are strongly encouraged to contact the ERC now to weigh in on the ERC recommendations, including proposals from the School Choice Committee.

Apart from the agenda, official materials from Friday's School Choice meeting are not yet available, though  draft recommendations from September's School Choice meeting are now available.