On Thursday, my dad and I traveled to the Capitol to watch the Senate Education and Youth Committee meeting. The whole reason we were there was because the senators were discussing HB 1259. We weren’t even sure it would be on the agenda because the agenda was not released until less than three hours before the meeting. We were already on the road, and I was in class with my teachers on the way there.
My dad was supposed to give public input on the bill during the public comment section. We wanted to ask them to stop HB 1259.
If this bill becomes law, it will close my school, Virtual Prep Academy of Georgia. My dad said, “It will be a great civics lesson for you.” My favorite class at VPA is Georgia Studies, and we have been learning about the Georgia government. This was a firsthand experience and a great field trip opportunity.
The first civics lesson I learned was that even if you show up, you may not be allowed to speak. They didn’t let anyone from the public speak about the bill. I couldn’t understand how a bill that would close down my school could be discussed, but not one person who would be affected was allowed to speak about it. The room was full of people like my dad and me who had come from all over the state to talk about this bill. There were some of my teachers, other families, and other people from my school. We didn’t get a chance to speak, though, because we were told there was no time for us. The senators and representatives talked a lot about what they thought was best, but they never asked us what we thought was best.
I got another civics lesson when the House representative began talking about the bill to the senators. When the bill was introduced in February in the House and we found out what it was, we thought that closing our school was not what they intended to do with this bill. We were wrong. The House representative called our school by name, and the entire discussion was about our school. No other school was even mentioned in the meeting.
My school, Virtual Prep Academy, is less than two years old. We currently have around 2,000 students. Our parents and we chose this school because the schools we previously attended weren’t working for us. Every one of our parents, along with each of us, looked at all the options available and chose Virtual Prep Academy instead.
None of this seemed to matter on Thursday. Students, parents, and my teachers didn’t seem to matter.
One of the hardest lessons on Thursday was when one of the senators said that not giving us another year was best. She said that it shouldn’t be a problem to find a school for next year in just 45 days. It took my parents a long time, and a lot of research, to decide on Virtual Prep Academy for me. I don’t think 45 days would be long enough to just change schools. She said we could easily enroll in our district school, choose a charter school, or enroll in one of the virtual charter schools.
Our parents and we already looked at those options. All 2,000 of us came from those same schools and chose Virtual Prep Academy because we liked it and it fits what we need. Why would we want to go back to where we came from or leave something that is working well for us for something we don’t know will work?
The last civics lesson I learned on Thursday was what amendments were and how each senator can amend a bill to fit what they want, sometimes for good and sometimes for bad. This bill was like that. Some of the senators tried to support us, and it helped some, but not enough. Finally, after they added some amendments, it passed out of the committee. In the end, if the bill passes and becomes law, not only will my school close, but the school of 2,000 other students and my teachers’ school will close too.
I was upset when I heard them say it passed. My dad and I talked about it most of the way home. He kept asking me what I learned, and this is what I learned: A bill goes through a lot to become a law. Some bills are good, and some bills are not as good. I also learned that politics plays a big role in whether a bill passes or not. And my 2,000 classmates and I lost because of politics.
Michael Avery Kersey
8th Grader
Virtual Prep Academy of Georgia
Virtual Preparatory Academy of Georgia is aware of recent legislative discussions and understands that families may have questions. At this time, the process is still ongoing and no final decisions have been made.
We want to be clear: our school is open for the current academic year and will remain open for the 2026–2027 school year. We are committed to continuing to serve our students and families without interruption.
We will closely monitor any developments and will provide timely updates should circumstances change. In the meantime, our focus remains on supporting student success and delivering a high-quality virtual learning experience for communities across Georgia.