Senate committee to examine funding for public education

By CANDY WAYLOCK candy@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — The formula for funding public schools in Georgia dates back to 1985 when the Legislature passed Quality Based Education. It was considered landmark legislation at a time when schools were funded primarily by local taxes.

QBE determines the cost to educate a full-time, public school student. It uses that figure to calculate how much a district “earns” each year in state funding.

With nearly $11 billion of state revenue budgeted for public schools this year through QBE, getting the formula fully funded and fair is important.

“It’s a plurality of the state budget,” said Stephen Owens, education director at the Georgia Policy and Budget Institute. “But it’s in the [Georgia] constitution as a primary obligation to provide an adequate public education free of charge.”

In developing the “per pupil” cost each year, QBE considers a variety of factors including grade level, teacher staffing and experience, class size,

► PAGE 3 BUSINESS residents Joel and Jennifer Vanderveur told the board the equestrian center was one of the appeals to living in the county when they moved here three years ago.

At a November 2022 meeting, commissioners voted 5-0 to demolish the property and put it out for bid. Former County Parks Director Jim Pryor said it would cost between $600,000 and $800,000 to renovate the equestrian building and make it code compliant.

See COUNTY, Page 6

See SCHOOLS, Page 4

Fly fishing enthusiast buys the company

► PAGE 8

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Police Blotter

All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

Deputies arrest man in jewelry burglary

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a suspect Jan. 28 following a burglary in progress call.

Homeowners on Normandy Lane in Suwanee told deputies they left their home around 7 p.m. Jan. 27. Roughly 20 minutes later, the homeowners received a notification from their camera system that showed two suspects near the swimming pool. Later, the footage showed the two suspects fleeing the home.

Deputies arrested Edgardo Cadiz, 30, of Miami in the Brixton Place neighborhood. While tracking Cadiz, a K9 officer found a mask, crowbars, hats and bags on the ground.

A deputy found a Louis Vuitton purse, an Adidas bag and clothing items in the backyard. The master and children’s bedrooms were ransacked, and the glass back door was shattered during the incident.

The suspects allegedly took jewelry with a value of $6,000 from the home. Other items taken from the residence were recovered.

Deputies search for man accused of striking wife

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County deputies placed an arrest warrant for a Cumming man who allegedly struck his wife and verbally threatened her Jan. 27.

A woman told Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office deputies she and her husband had an argument while driv - ing home after her husband had made racist comments. The woman claims her husband became very angry and struck her with the back of his hand.

The woman then stopped the vehicle and told her husband to exit, and he did. When the woman arrived home, her husband was leaving, and he allegedly said, “If I could get away with it, I would kill you.”

The man allegedly had been drinking, had been carrying a firearm and was showing strange behavior, the woman said.

The couple’s daughter, who was in the car during the incident, confirmed she saw her father strike her mother and then exit the car.

Deputies issued a warrant for a misdemeanor simple battery. The case is active pending the man’s arrest.

Man allegedly fires gun during domestic dispute

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Deputies arrested a man on felony aggravated battery charges following a domestic dispute Jan. 31.

Deputies arrived at a residence on Matt Highway in Cumming around 1 a.m. A woman at the scene said her stepson Brett Barrett, 43, had been drinking and shooting a firearm in the backyard. She said she believed Barrett had fired a gun inside the home as well.

Barrett allegedly shoved his nephew and dislocated his shoulder after the nephew asked why Barrett had fired a gun so late.

According to deputies, Barrett was unable to walk on his own, and he appeared to be intoxicated. Barrett denied a fight had occurred, and he said he was not firing any weapons.

Deputies located a Smith & Wesson handgun in a green pickup truck, which Barrett said he drives. Deputies found several 9mm shell casings and empty beer cans near the basement where Barrett lives.

Barrett was transported to Northside Forsyth Hospital due to his level of intoxication. At the hospital, Barrett allegedly admitted to the fight, but he claimed there was no physical incident. He also said he loved guns and owned an AK-47.

In the basement, deputies found more than 10 firearms and various firearm accessories. Deputies also found a Glock handgun that was confirmed stolen by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.

Barrett was arrested and charged with aggravated battery, theft by receiving stolen property, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, discharging a firearm while under the influence and criminal trespass.

Pair uses fake $50 bills for store transactions

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Multiple people came into the Walgreens on East Johns Crossing Jan. 22 using counterfeit $50 bills.

An employee said a man came in to reload a gift card at 4 p.m. but was unable to do so because he did not have his license, the police report said. She said he then went out of the store and came back in with a heavyset woman, who showed her license and used $303.95 of counterfeit $50 bills to reload the card for $300.

Around the same time, the employee said another woman entered the store. Video footage shows her going to the ATM before heading to the counter.

The employee said the woman asked for change in the amount of $800 and gave the cashier $800 in counterfeit $50 bills. The employee said the serial numbers of the bills from both women were the same.

Johns Creek Police submitted a USB drive with the video footage, along with the fraudulent bills, as evidence.