Private School Vouchers Drain Rural Georgia

This year, the Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit (QEETC)—a voucher that the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts found lacks transparency and oversight—will divert $120 million from the state’s budget. This program provides a tax credit to those donating to pass-through organizations that pay private school tuition for parents who apply. Georgians have no assurances of how students perform once they enter this program, as these schools are not held to state standards or tested to measure performance.

The QEETC is one of two state vouchers that funnel public funds to private schools—institutions that can reject students by income, ability, language proficiency, sexual orientation or religion. A review of the county-by-county QEETC usage shows that a few wealthier counties are benefiting from a program that the entire state subsidizes. Thirty-one percent of the voucher dollars last year were funneled to just two counties: Fulton and DeKalb.

Voucher Dollars Take from the Many to Benefit the Few

> $15,000,000

$1,000,000–$15,000,000

$100,000–$1,000,000 $50,000–$100,000

< $50,000

Source: GBPI analysis of Calendar Year Qualified Education Expense Credit Report.