Governor creates commission to review school funding
Gov. Nathan Deal has picked 33 people to study Georgia’s school funding formula and recommend educational reforms.
His Education Reform Commission is to suggest changes to the formula for distributing state tax proceeds to 180 local school districts. The formula dates from the 1980s and the state has been underfunding it for over a decade. The panel also is charged with recommending ways to increase access to early learning programs, to recruit and retain effective teachers and to “expand school options” for Georgians.
The commission comprises state lawmakers, leaders from the charter-school sector, business representatives, teachers, principals and five public school superintendents, including J. Alvin Wilbanks of Gwinnett County Schools and Robert Avossa of Fulton County Schools.
About the Author
Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.
