Lawmakers will vote Thursday on Gov. Nathan Deal’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2019. The governor surprised a lot of people Tuesday when he revealed plans to fully fund the state’s K-12 education formula.
More than a decade ago, the state enacted so-called “austerity cuts” to education. Deal has added money to the Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula each year he’s been in office. However, it hasn’t been enough to close the gap created by the steep cuts.
“The impact of [the cuts] was pretty profound,” said Claire Suggs, senior policy analyst with the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. “We cut the school calendar. Class sizes soared because we eliminated teaching positions. We cut student programs, art and music programs. So, it had a really powerful impact.”
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