1. Georgia Education Budget Primer
Stephen J. Owens, Ph.D.
Georgia Budget & Policy Institute

2. K-12 EDUCATION BUDGETED $9.9 BILLION FOR FY2019
Overview:
K-12 Education funding makes up 40.2% of the state’s budget
Department of Education - $9.9 billion
$624 million increase for education from the General Fund
More than half of funding growth will shore up retirement benefits

3. Fully-funded QBE
-The Quality Basic Education Act determines education funding
-Fully funded for the first time since 2002

4. Funding increase -Increased enrollment and shoring up retirement
-Removing austerity cuts

5. Shifting goalposts -2009 – Equalization decline, then law change
-2012 – Georgia lawmakers ended their contribution to the cost of health insurance for non-teaching staff

6. Equalization
Amount of Additional Money Each School District Would Receive Per Student if State Restored Equalization to 75th Percentile

7. School-level expenditures
HB 139
Cost of all materials, equipment, and other non-staff support
Salary and benefit expenditures for all staff
Annual cost of all professional development, including training, materials, and tuition provided for instructional staff
Total cost of facility maintenance and small capital projects
Spending for new construction or major renovation, based on the school system facility plan

8. Teacher pay raises

9. Pay raise considerations
Local Control
Incremental Steps
Impact on Pre-K Teaching Profession
How to Pay for it

10. Tax-credit vouchers Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit
Dollar for dollar tax credit
Student Scholarship Organizations as pass-though
Average scholarship: $3,777
More unknowns than knowns
Impact of SALT changes

11. GBPI on the issues
Beyond Basic Education: Five Ways for Georgia to Fund Schools Fairly (available online)
Teacher Raise Fact Sheet (provided)
State and Local Tax Deduction Changes Effect on Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit (forthcoming)