State Rep. Danny Mathis voted against the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act in 2023, a measure that would have provided parents with $6,000 per school year to choose where their children are taught, according to an April 7 statement from the Georgia House of Representatives. Mathis is preparing to face former State Rep. Robert Pruitt again in the 2026 Republican primary.
The vote on the scholarship act comes as debates over education funding and parental choice continue across Georgia and the nation. The legislation aimed to give families more control over how public education dollars are spent for their children.
The Georgia House voted down the measure 89-85 on March 29, 2023, after it had passed the Senate. State Rep. Danny Mathis was among those voting no on the legislation, which would have created promise scholarship accounts to give parents more control over education funding. The vote comes as Mathis faces a primary challenge from former State Rep. Robert Pruitt in a rematch of their 2022 contest, which Mathis won, according to legislative records.
The bill would have provided $6,000 per school year to eligible students whose parents live in Georgia and reside in the attendance zone of designated public schools. Parents would have been required to use the funds only for qualified education expenses and assume full financial responsibility for their child’s education, while participating schools would need to demonstrate fiscal soundness and comply with health and safety requirements. The program was designed to expand options beyond assigned public schools, according to official documents.
Private school choice programs have expanded nationwide, with about 1.3 million participating students as of July 2025, according to EdChoice. Surveys show more than 90% of participating parents report positive perceptions of school quality compared with assigned public school options, reflecting increased demand for customized education choices.
The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Georgia General Assembly and considers legislation that impacts education policy and family options across the state. It works with the Senate to review bills such as Senate Bill 233 that address public and private education opportunities for Georgia residents, according to its official website.
