Legislation to Modernize K-12 Funding in Georgia

The Georgia House of Representatives passed House Bill 192 160-3 last week establishing the State Educational Finance Study Commission. Introduced by State Rep. Brooks Coleman (R-Duluth), this legislation begins the process of modernizing Georgia’s k-12 education funding formula, according to an announcement from the Georgia House. The measure drew broad bipartisan support.

“This bill is critical for the future of Georgia education,” said Coleman. “A thorough review and update of QBE is long overdue. Our schools shouldn’t have to operate under an outdated funding formula.”  Coleman is chair of the House Education Committee. 

The Quality Basic Education Formula (QBE) currently dictates K-12 education funding in Georgia. Passed in 1985 after two years of work by the Education Review Commission, the QBE formula has served as the primary method for calculating the funding needs of Georgia school systems for more than 25 years. 

In that time, the formula has seen only one adjustment, passed in FY 1999, to direct funding for media centers but leaving all other areas of QBE untouched. This leaves essential education components such as textbooks, materials, and maintenance and operation costs considerably underfunded. Though well-designed for its time, the QBE formula lacks in accounting for inflation, technology enhancements, and other modern education needs, according to the announcement.

The results from the study will allow the commission to determine whether the state should simply update the current QBE formula or replace it with a new funding system.

The new State Education Finance Study Commission will be charged with studying and evaluating the costs and resources needed to educate a child under HB 192. The commission will use those findings to develop comprehensive K-12 educational finance reform that allows the state to meet the needs of its elementary, middle, and high schools. The commission will submit its final recommendations to the General Assembly by Dec. 31, 2012.

The bill drew the support of the Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) and other educational associations. “GAE is supportive of HB 192. As the needs of our state expand, our ability to properly fund education and address policy practice must grow with the demands,” said Calvine Rollins, president of the Georgia Association of Educators. “We feel that with the challenges Georgia will face, HB 192 is long overdue. We fully support this effort.”

The commission will have 27 members, one of which will be the state school superintendant. The governor will appoint 12 members, including: a local school superintendent; teacher, principal or other administrator; school finance officer; local board of education member; State Board of Education member; representative from the Professional Standards Commission; representative from the System Office of the University System of Georgia; representative from career, technical and agriculture education; and two parents. Additionally, the governor, speaker of the House, and lieutenant governor will each appoint one member from the business community.  

Also, The speaker of the House will appoint six state representatives and the lieutenant governor will appoint six state senators. In their appointments, the speaker and lieutenant governor must include the chairs of the House and Senate Education committees, who will co-chair the commission.  

“The GSSA applauds this unified effort by the political leaders of our state to take an open, honest, and thorough look at how our public schools are funded and to commit to the plan that is developed,” said Herbert Garret of the Georgia School Superintendent Association. “We offer our full and complete support.”

“We are delighted to see our state leaders come together to take a comprehensive look at the funding system and commit to follow through on the results,” said Angela Palm of the Georgia School Boards Association. “Providing a 21st century education to our students requires a 21st century plan. We look forward to being a part of this process.”

The commission will examine and evaluate issues outlined in the bill such as current state and local funding partnerships, the equalization grant program, student transportation, specialty schools for the blind and deaf, capitol outlay programs, teacher pay, non-QBE grants, charter schools, unfunded education mandates, and non-traditional programs like dual enrollment, virtual schools, and Career, Technology, and Agriculture Education. The commission would also be able to study issues not specifically mentioned in HB 192. 

After completing a comprehensive examination and evaluation of Georgia’s core education issues, the commission will create a formal report that prioritizes each of their recommendations. The report will include projected timelines for implementation, estimated cost analyses, and target dates for inclusion in the state budget. This will enable to General Assembly to gradually implement the commission’s recommendations as allowable by future budget conditions.

For more information on HB 192, which was passed by the Georgia House Feb. 23, click here.

Editor’s note: State Rep. Brooks Coleman represents the citizens of District 97, which includes the City of Duluth, part of the City of Suwanee and a portion of unincorporated Gwinnett County around Gwinnett Arena and Gwinnett Place Mall. He was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1992 and currently serves as the chairman of the Education Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations, Intragovernmental Coordination, Natural Resources & Environment, and Retirement committees.