State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Georgia > Title-42 > Chapter-2 > 42-2-5-1O.C.G.A. 42-2-5.1 (2010)
42-2-5.1. Special school district for school age youth; education programs for adult offenders
(a) In order to provide education for any school age youths incarcerated within any facility of the Department of Corrections, the department shall be considered a special school district which shall be given the same funding consideration for federal funds that school districts within the state are given. The special school district under the department shall have the powers, privileges, and authority exercised or capable of exercise by any other school district. The schools within the special school district shall be under the control of the commissioner, who shall serve as the superintendent of schools for such district. The Board of Corrections shall serve as the board of education for such district. The board, acting alone or in cooperation with the State Board of Education, shall establish education standards for the district. As far as is practicable, such standards shall adhere to the standards adopted by the State Board of Education for the education of school age youth, while taking into account:
(1) The overriding security needs of correctional institutions and other restrictions inherent to the nature of correctional facilities;
(2) The effect of limited funding on the capability of the Department of Corrections to meet certain school standards; and
(3) Existing juvenile education standards of the Correctional Education Association and the American Correctional Association, which shall be given primary consideration where any conflicts arise.
(b) The effect of subsection (a) of this Code section shall not be to provide state funds to the special school district under the department through Part 4 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20.
(c) The Board of Corrections, acting alone or in cooperation with the State Board of Technical and Adult Education or other relevant education agencies, shall provide overall direction of educational programs for adult offenders in the correctional system and shall exercise program approval authority. The board may enter into written agreements with other educational organizations and agencies in order to provide adult offenders with such education and employment skills most likely to encourage gainful employment and discourage return to criminal activity upon release. The board may also enter into agreements with other educational organizations and agencies to attain program certification for its vocational and technical education programs.
