K-12 Education Reports Stephen Owens Bills Set Stage to Divert Hundreds of Millions of Dollars From Public to Private Schools March 28, 2019 / October 13, 2026 by Stephen Owens Download PDF March 28, 2019 Update – The original voucher expansion bill, SB 173, failed on the Senate floor before Crossover Day. This week, as session winds down, the language was added as an amendment to HB 68 (LC 46 0162S), which had already passed the House. This puts a revised version of the voucher bill […] Read more » Charter Schools Education K-12
Blog Budget and Taxes Higher Education Jennifer Owens K-12 Education Georgia Legislative Session Update: Crossover Day Recap March 8, 2019 / May 26, 2020 by Jennifer Owens This week lawmakers hit a legislative session milestone. Thursday, March 7 marked Crossover Day, the day a bill originating in one chamber must pass to the other to have a chance at becoming law during the remainder of the legislative session. Several bills crossed over on or before the deadline and now careen toward the […] Read more » Budget & Taxes Crossover Day Education Georgia General Assembly Higher Education HOPE Scholarship K-12 Legislature private schools State Taxes
GBPI In The News Ga. Senate Rejects School Voucher Bill March 6, 2019 / January 14, 2020 by GBPI Admin After a two-hour fiery debate, the Georgia Senate rejected a bill that would have essentially created a school voucher program. Senate Bill 173 would let parents put money the state allocates for their child in public school into an Education Savings Account (ESA). GBPI’s Stephen Owens said similar programs in other regions haven’t been successful. “We’ve seen […] Read more » Education K-12 school vouchers Stephen Owens
Higher Education Jennifer Lee Presentations College Affordability Creates Hurdles for Many Students March 4, 2019 / May 26, 2020 by Jennifer Lee The following is a summary of a presentation on College Affordability delivered by GBPI Higher Education Analyst Jennifer Lee. Increasing college completion among low-income students is a necessity for Georgia and a higher education goal for GBPI. Financial challenges create a large barrier to college completion for many students, particularly for students of color and […] Read more » Education Higher Education
Fact Sheets Higher Education Jennifer Lee Georgia Lawmakers can Maximize Lottery Effectiveness February 25, 2019 / May 26, 2020 by Jennifer Lee The Georgia Lottery is intended to support a more educated Georgia where everyone gets a good early start to their education and an affordable path to a college degree. Too many lottery dollars sit idle. The state averages more than $53 million in lottery surplus every year which builds up the reserves instead of supporting […] Read more » Budget Education Higher Education HOPE Scholarship K-12 State Budget
Blog K-12 Education Stephen Owens Changes in Charter School Funding Explained February 14, 2019 / May 26, 2020 by Stephen Owens The enactment of House Bill 787 on July 1, 2018 guaranteed state charter schools additional funding to make up for the lack of local tax dollars. The amended budget for fiscal year 2019 and proposed 2020 increases the charter school supplement by $85.6 million.[1] Traditional public schools operate with state, federal and local funds. Local […] Read more » Charter Schools Education K-12
Budget and Taxes K-12 Education Reports Stephen Owens Overview: 2020 Fiscal Year Budget for K-12 Education February 1, 2019 / October 13, 2026 by Stephen Owens Download PDF Governor Brian Kemp’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2020 allocates $10.6 billion to Georgia’s public schools, a nearly $660 million increase above current funding. Almost three-fourths of the increase is directed to raise pay for the state’s 115,000 teachers and certified school employees. Student enrollment growth and increased funding for charter schools make […] Read more » Budget Education K-12 State Budget teachers Teachers Retirement System of Georgia
GBPI In The News What Gov. Kemp plans for schools in budget proposal January 31, 2019 / May 19, 2020 by GBPI Admin Permanent pay increases for Georgia school teachers are just one of several items new Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has proposed in a general fund budget to support public education across the state for the 2020 fiscal year that begins July 1. During the gubernatorial race last fall, Kemp promised certified teachers a $5,000 pay raise. Read […] Read more » Education K-12 teachers
Blog K-12 Education Stephen Owens Analyzing the Numbers on the Proposed Teacher Pay Raise January 30, 2019 / May 19, 2020 by Stephen Owens What is the cost of the proposed teacher pay raise? Gov. Kemp proposed a $5,000 raise for all public school teachers in Georgia. With roughly 115,000 teaching positions in the state, this pay increase would require an additional $575 million spent on school funding annually. The state’s obligation to pay a portion of each employee’s […] Read more » Budget Education K-12 State Budget
GBPI In The News Tax credits for private schools: the new lieutenant governor is a fan, but they remain controversial January 25, 2019 / May 19, 2020 by GBPI Admin Georgia’s new lieutenant governor says private schools are an important part of education, and he wants to expand a program that provides them indirect public support. But Georgia has little idea which students benefit from this program or how private schools serve those students. Read the full story from SaportaReport. Read more » Education K-12 Stephen Owens
