Public schools hit hard by proposed budget cuts

January 23, 2009

One of the Georgia Constitution's most important requirements of state government is to educate our children. Since 2002, however, the state has been shirking much of that responsibility through significant cuts to Quality Basic Education funding, shifting the revenue burden to the local level.

In the past six years, those cuts have totaled around $1.6 billion, forcing local school systems to make up the difference by eliminating teaching positions and important academic programs, raising property taxes, or both. And these cuts were made during supposedly strong years for the Georgia economy, with the overall state budget growing by about $1 billion annually.

With the 2009 legislative session just under way and the state dealing with a budget deficit of up to $2.5 billion, the bad news for public education in Georgia gets even worse. Gov. Perdue's proposed budget amendment for the remainder of fiscal year 2009 whacks another $185.8 million in QBE funding (including $50 million that the legislature restored in the original budget), and his fiscal year 2010 plan includes a $275.3 million cut to QBE.

If these cuts are not reversed by the legislature, the state will have reduced its obligation to provide funding to local public schools by more than $2 billion over an eight-year period, while our education system remains near the bottom of all national rankings. The governor calls these "austerity cuts," but there is nothing austere about shifting a constitutional responsibility from one level of government to another.

Public school teachers will go without a salary increase in the governor's new budget (along with all state employees), and they will have to pay more for their health insurance coverage. The governor's plan also eliminates state funding for school nurses and a pay hike for teachers who earn National Board Certification. Numerous other cuts bring the total reduction for education to $491 million for FY 2009 and $250 million for FY 2010.

Everyone understands these are tough economic times, and all state agencies are being asked to sacrifice funding to help balance the budget. But where public education is concerned, this seems to be less of a one-time emergency and more of a sustained assault under this administration.

Unfortunately, it seems that even these cuts to public schools aren't enough for some of our leaders who, incredibly, are pushing for taxpayer-funded private school vouchers. They think now is a good time to take even more funding from public schools and send tax dollars to private schools. Hopefully, this proposal will be rejected, and this session can be remembered as one when legislators did all we could for our public schools, not against them.

During the first week of the session, I co-sponsored the following legislation:

HB 19, which would add a one-point penalty on driver's licenses for the use of cell phones while driving.

HB 129, which would provide a sales tax exemption for the sales of tangible personal property used in the renovation or expansion of an aquarium, zoo or wildlife park.

HR 81, commending Dr. Mostafa El-Sayed, recipient of the National Medal of Science.

HR 85, commending Georgia Tech tennis player Amanda McDowell, winner of the 2008 NCAA women's singles championship.

HR 86, commending the Georgia Tech Band on its 100th anniversary.