Here’s a simple idea: if a Georgia public school has an open seat, any Georgia student should be able to take it.
That’s not a partisan stance—it’s common sense. Families shouldn’t have to navigate a maze of district rules, hidden deadlines, or superintendent approvals to find the right public school. Yet, under Georgia’s current patchwork system, that’s often the case.
A new study from the Reason Foundation, Public Schools Without Boundaries 2025, finds that Georgia’s open-enrollment laws are weak compared to national best practices. While some students can transfer within their district, many families are shut out by inconsistent policies and lack of transparency.
Here’s what needs to change:
✅Accept transfer requests by default. When a school reports open seats, students should be accepted unless capacity is truly full—with clear, written explanations for any denials.
💸End tuition for public-to-public transfers. Families already pay taxes to fund public education; they shouldn’t face extra fees to attend another public school.
🔍 Shine a light on access. Georgia should publish a statewide dashboard showing how many transfer applications are accepted or denied, by district and school.
A strong open-enrollment system empowers parents, expands opportunity and makes public education more responsive to students’ needs. Georgia families deserve access to every public classroom that’s ready to welcome them, no matter which side of a district line they call home.
Where does Georgia fall short and what can we do to improve access for Georgia families? We talk about it in this week’s commentary.
Have a great weekend,
– Kyle Wingfield
Friday’s Freshest 🗞️
By adopting a Taxpayer Relief Fund, which saves surplus revenue for tax relief instead of new spending, Georgia can ensure conservative budgeting translates into lasting, responsible tax reductions.
Atlanta is in the middle of consolidating and reorganizing schools, with tens of thousands of open seats across the district. Still, consolidation is rarely easy, even when it’s the practical or financially sound thing to do.
Georgia’s doctor shortage is large, and growing larger. Facing that fact is crucial if policymakers are to address the problem. So is rejecting the pervasive inclination to continue building our physician workforce “the way we’ve always done it.”
Since schools closed their doors in March 2020, the United States has seen a dramatic rise in students who are chronically absent. What began as an emergency measure to “flatten the curve” has left lasting marks on school culture, student habits and academic performance.
A local nonprofit challenging the City of Calhoun’s ban on homes smaller than 1,150 square feet won an initial legal victory. Tiny House Hand Up sought to use donated land to build modest, affordable cottages, but the city’s restrictions initially blocked their plans.
Peach Picks 🍑
The number of students who earn a degree at a public college or university in Georgia rose to a record 82,607 students. According to the University System of Georgia, 35.6% of students who enrolled in the system in 2020 earned a degree within four years with rates ranging from 77.4% at University of Georgia to 10.2% at Georgia Gwinnett College.
Devon Horton resigned from the DeKalb County School District, a week after he was indicted by a federal grand jury. Horton is accused of taking kickbacks from contracts awarded to companies owned by the three men while he was superintendent.
Decatur City Schools have initiated a comprehensive review of K-2 school utilization that could result in the closure of a lower elementary school, district officials said. The district cited declining enrollment for the need.
Georgia leaders say the state’s farmers are continuing to adapt to challenges—from changing markets to recovering from last year’s Hurricane Helene. On Tuesday, at the Sunbelt Ag Expo, Gov. Brian Kemp and Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper shared how the state is working to support farmers and strengthen one of Georgia largest industries.
General Motors announced it is cutting electric-vehicle production and taking a $1.6 billion charge on its EV business as demand weakens—raising the question: is America’s EV market a product of genuine consumer demand or government policy?
Quotes Of Note 🌟
“For 250 years, our farmers have risen to the challenges they face again and again and found ways not just to survive, but to come back and be stronger and thrive better than ever before.” – Gov. Brian Kemp, at the Sunbelt Ag Expo
“So I told him before the game, if these guys clap, it’s a penalty. They can’t clap because it will fault snap. I’ve lost games on that before in the stadium. And I told him, I said they clap. I want to tell you, I got somebody in the box watching every play. They were clapping. So I ran over to him and said they’re clapping. They’re clapping. And he thought I called timeout. And so I wanted to make sure he understood. Go lip read, because I’m screaming, they’re clapping.” – Kirby Smart, after Georgia’s 20-10 win over Auburn
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis
One More Fact 💡
Public trust in the media has hit a record low, with just 28% of Americans expressing confidence that newspapers, television or radio report the news fully and fairly. That figure is down from 40% just five years ago, and less than half the level recorded in the 1970s, when trust hovered near 70%.
The decline spans all political groups, but Republicans’ confidence has virtually collapsed, now sitting at just 8%. Independents aren’t far behind, with barely one in four expressing trust. Even among Democrats, long the group most favorable toward mainstream media, only a slim majority (51%) still express confidence.
Generational divides deepen the concern. Older adults are far more trusting of the press than younger Americans. Nearly 43% of those over 65 say they trust the media, compared to fewer than 30% of younger adults. Two decades ago, the gap barely existed.
The implications are profound. We need credible information sources, yet much of the public now views the media as partisan or untrustworthy. For news organizations, the challenge isn’t only to report accurately, it’s to rebuild faith across political and generational lines.
Without that trust, even the most diligent journalism risks falling on deaf ears.