Georgia’s House has moved forward with a budget that allocates funds to support low-income public school students for the first time. Despite this progressive step, the $28 million earmarked is considerably short of what education advocates deem necessary to make impactful changes. The $37.7 billion allocation, which is part of a broader $73.1 billion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year starting July 1, is currently making its way to the Senate for further discussion.
This budget, as outlined in House Bill 68, includes proposed boosts to prison funding, additional bonus payments for certain state retirees, and increases in judges’ salaries. Traditionally, Georgia’s education funding system provides supplementary resources to districts with lower property wealth, but there is a growing discourse around the need for direct financial support to underprivileged students.
“Low-income students arrive in schools with additional needs due to their household situations,” notes Rebecca Sibilia, the executive director of Ed Fund, who has been actively working towards reforming school funding structures. This funding shortfall impacts a substantial portion of the student population, with approximately 36% of Georgia’s 1.75 million public school students coming from financially challenged backgrounds.
The House Appropriations Committee Chairman, Matt Hatchett, recognized that the current proposal, which would amount to roughly $45 per low-income student, is only a preliminary step. Experts like Sibilia argue that schools require a minimum of $1,000 extra per student, which totals to around $625 million, to effectively begin addressing educational gaps. Democratic Sen. Jason Esteves has supported a more robust funding enhancement, proposing an additional $2 billion.
“This is just the start of addressing a critical need,” says Hatchett, representing a highly impoverished district in Dublin. Georgia’s position is notable as one of only a handful of states not prioritizing additional spending for low-income students.
Increasing support for impoverished students could significantly benefit academic outcomes, covering necessary interventions and supplementary programs such as transportation, meals, and after-school activities. The House bill would also see an additional $98 million in public education spending beyond Governor Brian Kemp’s initial recommendation, pushing total educational expenditures to $16 billion.
Noteworthy allocations include $25 million earmarked for a database aiding troubled students as part of a new school safety bill, and $19.6 million dedicated to mental health services in middle and high schools through grants. Further proposals aim at bolstering literacy by funding coach hiring and standards research with $10.8 million and $2 million, respectively, and another $10 million is planned for enrichment programs to replace federal aid.
The House also proposes a $321 million borrowing initiative for capital projects, counterbalancing austerity in other areas due to the budget’s revenue caps. Additionally, the House aims to curtail the funding of a new educational voucher program from the $141 million proposed by Kemp to a more modest $46 million, based on demand expectations for its first year. This program offers $6,500 vouchers for spending on private education or homeschooling.
