Georgia has a maddening habit. State officials support education policies with real potential to improve teaching and help students learn more. Then, time after time, they don’t invest the money needed to implement these policies effectively or within all districts.
August is here and with it, a new school year begins. For four-year-olds starting Pre-K, it’s the beginning of their journey to college and the workforce. But Georgia’s lawmakers are letting them down. They’ve cut funding for Pre-kindergarten by 22
The $9.7 billion Georgia is investing in education in 2014 accounts for more than half of all state expenses. Still, Georgia’s investment in education is falling, even as its expectations of what they will accomplish are rising. The education section
State and federal lawmakers are changing higher education financial aid programs and that makes it harder for Georgia’s students to earn a college degree. These changes aren’t just hurting students and their families. They’re undermining Georgia’s economy, which is increasingly
It just got tougher for Georgia’s students to afford college. Last week the Board of Regents of the state’s university system raised tuition for fall 2013. The tuition hikes range from a high of 7 percent at Georgia Tech to
Georgia is rolling out ambitious new standards for student performance in K-12, but is skimping on needed comprehensive financial support that would clear a path for success. The Common Core Georgia Performance Standards are rigorous goals that outline what students
Why should Georgia divert more taxpayer money to support private school scholarships when the public has no idea if the state gets a good return on the existing $50 million worth of tax breaks it devotes to the program? That’s
Georgia is investing far less in higher education today than it was five years ago, according to a new report. As a result, students and their families are shouldering more of the cost of college than ever, leaving them with
Senate Bill 243 (SB 243), unlike the related House Bill 140 (HB 140) introduced earlier in 2013 legislative session, would bring overdue focus, transparency and accountability to the private school scholarship tax credit program. But it does not end its
Championed as a quasi-voucher bill by its author, House Bill 140 would expand Georgia’s private school scholarship tax credit program from $50 million to $80 million, diverting an additional $30 million in potential state revenue from the general fund. The
The Georgia Budget & Policy Institute works to advance lasting solutions that expand economic opportunity and well-being for all Georgians.
Georgia Budget & Policy Institute
GBPI is committed to tracking how the state of Georgia raises and spends fiscal resources. As the federal government has promised and provided some of these, cuts to programs and funding on the federal level could have deep and lasting impacts on Georgians and on the state’s ability to meet the needs of all its residents.
Submit public comment on Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage program extension by February 20th – just complete this easily fillable form:
