Education panel proposes $258 million more in school spending

A committee working for Gov. Nathan Deal is recommending that the state add $258 million to the educational budget as part of a new formula for distributing money to school districts.

The proposal agreed upon Thursday by eight of the governor’s volunteers now goes to the more than 30 members of the full Education Reform Commission for a vote on Nov. 19.

Critics contend that if the amount of new money, up from $241 million when the committee met last in October, is formalized in a new funding formula, it will lock in shortfalls of about a quarter billion dollars. The $8 billion state educational budget is shorting schools about half a billion dollars this year, according to the formula in use since 1985.