Schools:

Continued from Page 1 of factors including grade level, teacher staffing and experience, class size, special services, like special education or gifted classes, student-teacher ratio and other direct and indirect costs of education.

While QBE determines how much a school earns in state funding each year, the state’s economy and budget determine how much the school systems actually receive. Since 1985, the QBE has rarely been fully funded, or appropriately adjusted to the current education environment.

Four decades ago when QBE was implemented, technology in classrooms was limited. Students used typewriters to submit papers, phones were still wired to walls, and there were fewer options available for students with unique learning needs.

Georgia’s last three governors have made fully funding QBE a priority, but it will take the will of the General Assembly to see it through.

“I look forward to working with the Georgia General Assembly and other partners to strengthen supports and opportunities for students [and] support for public education,” said State School Superintendent Richard Woods, who has made funding the QBE a 2023 priority for the Georgia Department of Education.

“We have an enormous opportunity as listener on a journey through the fields and mountains of Spain and brings to life ancient dances that celebrate the rising of the sun, the deep thrumming of Spanish guitarras and the freedom of the gypsy life exploring the open road.

Popularly used in films and television shows like “Mozart in the Jungle”, “Danzon No. 2” by Mexican composer Arturo Márquez takes rhythms and tempos from the dance style danzón, which is Cuban in origin but is popular in Mexico. Making use of a wide range of percussion instruments to keep the smooth and flowing theme of the music, “Danzon No. 2” ignites the senses we move beyond the pandemic to build a public education system that is truly centered on the needs of Georgia students."

In an amended 2023 budget, Gov. Brian Kemp has requested an additional $745 million for schools and proposed more than $1.1 billion to fully fund the QBE formula.

Committee to review QBE

Last year, the Georgia Senate approved a resolution to form the “Senate Study Committee to Review Educational Funding Mechanisms.” Meetings were held across the state last fall to gather input from the public as it looks to address shortfalls in QBE this session.

The five-member committee is tasked with reviewing the “efficacy and sufficiency” of school funding, primarily the QBE, to determine if it is meeting the needs of Georgia’s 1.7 million public school students and 2,300 public schools.

Owens said the QBE formula is working for the most part, but in serious need of review and updates.

“Georgia has one of the fairer funding systems in the nation,” Owens said during a recent media symposium hosted by the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. “But it is getting less fair year after year.”

He noted in the recent past Georgia was among the top 10 states in the country for how much money was directed to public schools with high numbers of economically disadvantaged students. Georgia has now dropped to 16, and is one of only six states that does not have targeted funding for students in poverty.

— you can almost smell the citrus in the air, feel the warm breeze floating through the trees and hear dancing shoes clapping against the floor. Adding a grandiose element is Bedrich Smetana’s epic “Die Moldau,” which evokes aspects of the composer’s home country, the Czech Republic, by using folk music and dances to his advantage.

Beginning with the small trickle of the Vlatava River, embodied by two solo flutes whose playing intertwines to create what seems like a single musical flow, this piece works its way to a grand pinnacle.

Owens also pointed to the state’s $6.6 billion in surplus revenue above the “rainy day” fund that sits at the discretion of the governor and Legislature.

“So we will all be watching with bated breath on how that money is spent this year [to see if it is used] to increase services for the people of Georgia,” Owens said.

Local districts pay ‘fair share’

QBE is considered a funding partnership between state and local school boards. Local school districts are expected to contribute revenues equal to five mills on the property tax digest to the school system – whether they actually assess it or not. This is referred to as the Local Five Mill Share.

This local share is calculated for each county, then subtracted from the QBE formula before state dollars are allocated. According to the Georgia Department of Education, the Local Five Mill Share in FY2021 equaled $2 billion of funds deducted from QBE. This is the equivalent of $1,176 per student earned but not provided by state funds.

For less wealthy districts with low property values and limited tax revenues, the state provides most of the school funding, and offers “equalization grants” to cover some of the gaps. For wealthier counties with high property values, local taxes still fund the majority of public education.

While February brings thoughts of those we love and Valentine’s Day cards, the best gift of all is to remember it’s also American Heart Month. Heart disease is the leading cause of hospitalization for those over age 65 and is still the leading cause of death in this country. Over 800,000 deaths a year are due to cardiovascular disease. The good news is it’s largely preventable, so let’s review how to improve and maintain your heart health.

Monitoring your blood pressure is a key indicator of where you stand with your heart health. Yet only 48 per cent of people aged 50 to 80 who take medication or have a health condition affected by high blood pressure (or hypertension) monitor it on a regular basis. Preventing hypertension lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke. So setting a regular schedule and getting a blood pressure monitor you can learn to use at home is the start of knowing the numbers for your heart health journey.

Eating a healthy diet with a variety of food with potassium, fiber, protein, and importantly is lower in salt is critical. Flavor your food using more spices, eat salads and steamed vegetables. Select grilled poultry or fish and avoid heavy sauces, salad dressings and fats. This will help you get to or keep a healthy weight.

Staying physically active and reducing stress comes next. Moderate walking or other forms of physical exercise can do wonders. While 150 minutes of moderate activity a week is recommended, be sure to check with your doctor about forming