Ga. lawmaker wants to expand school vouchers

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A state lawmaker wants to expand Georgia's
limited school voucher program to include students in foster care
and from military families.

Sen. Chip Rogers, a Woodstock Republican, announced Wednesday he
is introducing legislation that would use taxpayer money to send
the students to private schools. The state already gives such
vouchers to families with special-needs students, which started in
2007.

About 2,100 students in Georgia are receiving the vouchers.

Rogers' bill would increase the per-student funding from $6,331
to about $9,800 for special needs students. Military students and
foster care children would get between $5,000 and $9,000 each.

National experts say just seven states and Washington, D.C.,
have voucher programs for low-income or special-needs students. No
state has successfully passed a universal voucher program.