Yes, Georgia Democrats are heavily opposed to the school voucher and school choice initiatives championed by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in 2025 and 2026.
Based on reports and activities in early 2026, the opposition centers on the following:
Diverting Public Funds: Democrats argue that programs like the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233) and new federal tax credit programs—which Lt. Gov. Jones has aggressively supported—divert necessary funding away from public education.
Repeal Efforts: Democratic state lawmakers have introduced legislation to repeal the Georgia Promise Scholarship, which provides $6,500 in taxpayer-funded vouchers to students in low-performing schools to attend private institutions.
Opposition to 2026 Expansion: As Lt. Gov. Jones pushed to expand school choice and participated in opting Georgia into a new federal tax credit program in January 2026, Democrats and progressive think tanks, such as the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, criticized these moves as a "handout to upper-class parents" that does not hold private schools accountable.
Budget
Cuts Resistance: In early 2026, as the Georgia House sought to cut
funding for the voucher program due to lower-than-expected demand, Democrats
generally supported restricting these funds, while Jones and other Republicans
pushed to maintain or expand them.
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Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, running for governor in 2026, has made school choice a priority for the 2026 legislative session, including Senate Bill 446 to formalize participation in federal tax credit programs for private education.
Yes, Georgia
Democrats remain firmly opposed to school vouchers in 2026, viewing them
as a "scheme" that diverts essential funding from the state's public
school system.
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As Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (a Republican candidate for Governor in 2026) continues to advocate for the expansion of programs like the Georgia Promise Scholarship, Democratic lawmakers have actively pushed for their repeal.
Democratic Party of Georgia +1
Key Reasons for Democratic Opposition
Diverting Public Funds: Democrats, such as State Sen. Kim Jackson, argue that the state should prioritize investing in public schools rather than subsidizing private education through tax credits and vouchers.
Inequity and Access: Opponents like State Rep. Floyd Griffin contend that vouchers primarily benefit families who can already afford private school tuition, leaving low-income and rural students—who lack transportation or cannot cover the remaining tuition costs—at a disadvantage.
Lack of Accountability: The Georgia House Democratic Caucus has pointed to other states to claim that such programs often lack fiscal oversight and do not lead to improved academic outcomes.
Concerns Over Scaling: In early 2026, Democratic state senators questioned the need to permanently enroll Georgia in new federal voucher programs, preferring annual oversight instead.
Savannah
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Political
Context (2026)
The voucher debate is a central issue in the 2026 Gubernatorial race. While Burt Jones touts the Promise Scholarship as the "largest school choice victory" in Georgia history, Georgia Democrats label his broader fiscal and educational platform as an "extreme policy" out of touch with the needs of most Georgians.
Comments
The Georgia Legislature controls the requirements that Georgia Public Schools must adhere to. School Vouchers offer Public Schools to clean up their act.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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