Gov. Nathan Deal is pushing back the deadline for his education reform team, giving them until December to recommend an overhaul of the state’s school funding formula.

Deal had asked his Education Reform Commission to recommend ways to streamline the decades old formula, known as Quality Basic Education, or QBE, by August. In a letter Wednesday, though, he backed off that time table, setting a new deadline of Dec. 18.

The governor was apparently responding to requests from committee members to slow down the process. The letter is not addressed to anyone and was released by his Office of Planning and Budget, which has been staffing the committee.

“While I am disappointed that you believe more time is needed, it is important that you feel the committee has sufficient time to make the best recommendations possible,” Deal wrote.

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