Charter School Students Deserve Affordable School Buildings
Senate Bill 498 will help Georgia’s public charter schools access affordable financing for school buildings so more resources go to students and teachers.
Georgia’s charter schools are public schools that are free and open to all students. Yet more than 64,000 charter school students attending often learn in buildings with fewer resources because charter schools receive far less funding for facilities than traditional district schools.
Even though charter school families pay the same taxes, charter schools typically must divert classroom dollars to pay for building costs. This means less funding for:
Unlike traditional school districts, charter schools cannot raise taxes to fund building costs. Instead, they rely on state education funding along with bonds to finance capital costs.
Because the state meets less than one-third of charter schools’ facility needs, schools must cover the remaining costs themselves - often spending 12–18% of their operating budgets on buildings, or roughly $2,400 per student each year.
Closing this gap could allow an average charter school to hire about 20 additional teachers.
Senate Bill 498 is a one-time investment to expand access to affordable facilities financing for charter schools across Georgia. The bill creates the Georgia Charter School Facilities Authority, which would provide:
As schools repay their loans, the funds would be replenished to help other charter schools improve their buildings, allowing the investment to support students across Georgia over time.
By lowering the cost of financing school facilities, SB 498 helps ensure charter schools can spend more resources on students and teachers instead of buildings.
Charter schools are an important part of Georgia’s public education system.
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International Charter Academy of Georgia is experiencing rapid student growth as it expands its middle school, creating an urgent need for upgraded and expanded facilities. In FY25, the school invested nearly $468,000 to add three new middle school classrooms to accommodate rising enrollment, while maintenance costs exceeded $325,000 and mortgage and construction expenses added more than $197,000.
The elimination of the State Charter School Facility Grant significantly limited the state charter school’s ability to fund critical projects, forcing the postponement of necessary roof and window repairs. The school also operates without a gym or playground. Additional facilities funding would support essential upgrades and further expansion, ensuring facilities keep pace with student growth and continue providing a high-quality learning environment for all students.
Baconton Community Charter School is experiencing growing demand for student space, yet has already dedicated more than $1.7 million for maintenance and facilities excluding over $62,000 for annual modular lease costs and over $280,000 in other mortgage payments. While a new building has replaced outdated modular classrooms, additional classrooms and a gym are urgently needed to accommodate continued enrollment and support expanded academic programs, especially career-based classes in the high school.
Without dedicated facility funding, essential projects—such as consolidating modulars into permanent buildings—are delayed, limiting the school’s ability to grow and provide a high-quality learning environment. Additional funding is critical to ensure Baconton can meet student needs today and plan for continued growth tomorrow.
Amana Academy North Fulton faces ongoing challenges due to the lack of facility funding, which directly affects its ability to attract and retain experienced teachers. Without these funds, the school caps its teaching salary scale at 10 years and does not implement the T5 scale, limiting competitiveness with local districts and impacting teacher retention.
The school allocates 12% of its budget to facilities and maintenance, including $568,393 for annual lease or mortgage costs and $755,160 for upkeep. Past grants have provided some support but fall short of covering the school’s needs. Additional facility funding would allow Amana Academy North Fulton to meet the Fulton County teaching salary scale, strengthen staff retention, and provide a fully equipped, high- quality learning environment for all students.
The school also operates without a gym or dedicated playground, and essential maintenance—such as roof and building repairs—has sometimes been deferred due to budget constraints.
Statesboro STEAM Academy faces ongoing challenges due to limited facility funding, which has significantly affected its ability to hire and retain tutors and academic support staff who are essential to student success. These constraints also limit the school’s ability to provide higher-level instructional resources that strengthen its academic program.
To prioritize academics, the school often delays facility repairs and maintenance that do not pose immediate health or safety concerns. With enrollment growing, Statesboro STEAM Academy is planning for a new facility to better serve students and ensure long-term academic success.
Learn more about Georgia's public charter schools by downloading GCSA's legislative packet today.
