ATLANTA — Georgia State School Superintendent Dr. Richard Woods cited the state’s “divisive concepts” law as one of the reasons he chose not to approve a new Advanced Placement African American Studies course.

The Georgia Attorney General’s Office though told lawmakers that the law would not impact the AP program.

Channel 2 Action News obtained a copy of a letter the AG’s office sent to Rep. William Wade (R-Dawsonville).

Channel 2 Action News reported previously that Woods said he believed allowing the course would force him to break his oath of office and ignore the law.

In a letter to Wade, the AG’s Office said their interpretation of the law did not find the course would violate the statute, so long as the curriculum and content are delivered in a professional academic manner, and without the declaration of personal political beliefs during the lessons.

The letter also said the statutory language of the law “as enacted excludes advanced placement, international baccalaureate and dual enrollment coursework by its express terms,” meaning college-level courses such as those produced by the College Board for AP testing and lessons would not fall under the bill’s provisions.

In the roughly two weeks since Woods’ initial announcement, pushback was swift from a variety of lawmakers.

At one point, Gov. Brian Kemp asked for clarity on the decision-making process by Woods, citing Georgia’s status as a state where parents were responsible for deciding what their children’s academic needs were, and how to meet them.

In the letter from the governor to Woods in July, Kemp said “families should ultimately make the decisions which best meet their child’s academic needs and futures,” in a phrase reminiscent of his previous commentary on parental rights in education, such as when he signed off on the bill banning so-called divisive concepts, 2022′s Parents’ Bill of Rights legislation.

School districts and state officials have continued review of what next steps for the program might be. Some school districts have pledged to fund the course on their own, while others said without the state funds, they could not.

Following the AG’s office letter to Wade, it has yet to be determined what, if any, official decisions may come next.

Channel 2 Action News has reached out to the State Board of Education for more information on how this could impact the state’s approval status for the program.