Modernizing Georgia’s Education Funding
My mother and I have lived surprisingly similar lives. We were both born and raised in the Atlanta area, grew up eating at the Varsity on special occasions, attended Braves games with our families, shopped at the same malls as teenagers, and I currently attend her alma mater, the University of Georgia. However, our most significant similarity concerns our high school years, specifically the impact of the Georgia Quality Basic Education Act (QBE) on the schools from which we graduated. The QBE dictates funding allocations for Georgia’s public schools and affects the lives of students every day. Created in 1985, today the QBE faces challenges due to its outdated nature, which does not support students’ needs.
School budgets in Georgia are allocated based on a formula embedded into the QBE. This formula is based on student enrollment, specifically the Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) count. The amount of money a school receives is based on the funding per student attending the school, adjusted based on grade level and special services needed. Additionally, the QBE accounts for teacher salaries and operational costs. Funding for the QBE is supported by local school districts through property taxes, with the state covering the remaining costs.
The original mission of the QBE, much like the name suggests, was to provide a quality basic education; however, in attempting to do so, key factors have been overlooked. Currently, the QBE lacks a permanent formula that would address students’ needs, support school staff, and improve the function of schools as a whole.
For much of the lifespan of Georgia’s QBE, it has been one of only six state formulas that have not allocated at-risk funding for low-income students. This is a staggering statistic since, as of 2023, 18% of children aged 5-17 in Georgia were living in poverty. The lack of intentional and targeted funding upholds the educational disparities faced by Georgia students and further deepens the achievement gap across the state.
This issue has been raised under the Gold Dome in Atlanta, and politicians are aware of the growing calls for change. Governor Nathan Deal’s 2015 Education Reform Commission recommended increasing the weight of the QBE formula as a means to support economically disadvantaged students. Although this recommendation came 10 years ago, there has been no change.
The end of the 2023-2024 legislative session was marked by package deals of educational legislation that fund school voucher programs, not student success, driven by an adjusted QBE. The 2024-2025 session budget included a $15.3 million one-time pilot addition that will be spent on students in need based on the QBE. While the additional $15.3 million should be celebrated, experts deem that Georgia would need to spend $625 million to support students adequately.
The 2024-2025 legislative session saw the introduction of bills with the intention of improving the QBE. The Investing in Every Student Act, authored by Representative Sandra Scott, would have provided additional support and resources to students by adjusting the QBE to provide direct state funding to students. The bill additionally required that grants given by the State Board of Education be used for student success, and called for further transparency in regards to funding in an attempt to close achievement gaps. This bill ultimately died in session.
Bipartisan efforts have been made to codify the adjusted weight of the QBE. House Bill 245, sponsored by four Democrats and two Republicans, was introduced with the intent of adding a formula to the QBE to support students living in poverty. This would provide definitions of eligible students while also taking into account funding based on student-to-teacher ratios. This bill also died in session.
The pulse of the QBE is not just felt in our local schools, but the entire state, affecting Georgia’s economic growth and workforce development. A report by the Washington Center for Equitable Growth shows that the reduction of education gaps can stimulate economic growth as well as increase government revenue. These two factors highlight the impact of investing in education beyond the classroom, as well as the significant advantage it displays for our state. The opportunity that updating the QBE permanently provides allows for Georgia to be more competitive in education on a nationwide scale.
School systems are committed to providing the best education they can for their students while also supporting and uplifting their teachers and staff, but they often struggle to meet these goals due to insufficient funding. Without sustainable and updated financial resources, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain high standards of education and equal opportunities for all students across the state.
The future of an adjusted QBE looks like continuous support, strong advocacy, and legitimate action taken from government leaders. Continued funding reforms would ensure that every Georgia student has an equal opportunity for success and that the staff shaping students have the support that they need. Changes to the QBE will support the long-term prosperity of our local communities as well as our state as a whole.
Sibley Durisch is a third-year student at the University of Georgia studying Political Science. She is a member of the education policy group.