Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the state's first school vouchers program into existence Friday, opening the door for parents of students with disabilities to send their children to private schools with state dollars.

The bill proposing the program, Senate Bill 10, was one of Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson's main initiatives this year.

"I believe that parents are in the best position to know their children and their unique needs and deserve the right to make the most appropriate decisions for their own children," said Sen. Johnson, a Savannah Republican.

Under the new law, parents will be able to send children with disabilities to private schools using a special scholarship provided by the state. The average annual cost of one of the scholarships would be about $9,000, according to education experts.

Jody Grogan, a government relations specialist with the Georgia Association of Educators, said the teachers organization was "very disappointed that the bill passed."

State Rep. Tom Dickson, R-Cohutta, who was chairman of the subcommittee that held several hearings on the bill, said the bill will have a funding impact on public schools, but that in most cases it would not be "disastrous."

"If a voucher bill was going to pass, SB10 was as good as you could get it," he said.

Rep. Dickson said the bill has no provisions mandating that lawmakers re-evaluate the program sometime in the future, but he was sure a look at the program's effectiveness would take place.

The Georgia Department of Education Web site, as of Friday afternoon, already was accepting parent and school applications for participation in the program.