When the Georgia General Assembly starts Jan. 9 and Gov. Nathan Deal cranks up his proposed education reform agenda, the bottom line, as always, is going to be what can Georgia afford to change.

There is a litany of proposals to remake the Georgia education system thanks to a specially appointed committee’s year-long work, and tax income in Georgia is rising with the economy. But what will legislators be willing to spend, especially to get Georgia’s lowest performing schools on track?

Staff writer Ty Tagami takes a look at why those schools present an especially tough problem, and what extras services can put the poorest students on a stable footing so they can learn.

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Credit: Ben Hendren