School funding changes overdue, necessary

We would never limit ourselves to the knowledge, progress and technology of the 1980s. We’ve upgraded from landlines to mobile phones, from VCRs to DVRs, from Commodore 64s to touchscreen tablets. In 1986, Americans would have thought the World Wide Web sounded like an alien spider attack.

Georgia still uses a pre-Internet approach to paying for education that lacks the flexibility needed to support the wave of educational innovations spreading across the nation. The Foundation for Excellence in Education last month polled Georgians about k-12 funding. Nearly half think the more-than $9,000 the state spends per child is “about right,” while a third said the state should spend more. But when they had to choose between reform and simply spending more, Georgians favored reforming the funding model by a margin of 67 percent to 25 percent.

Tellingly, at least 10 other states are achieving better results for their students with the same amount or even fewer dollars per student, including Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee.­

The new student-based funding approach recommended by Deal’s commission provides a guidebook for how Georgia can upgrade its strategic investments in students. The new formula replaces an indecipherable, rigid and outdated system with one that is transparent, flexible and efficient.

The current formula, called Quality Basic Education, is school- or program-based, meaning funding follows programs, classes or staff positions – not students. This makes it difficult to know if students are truly getting the services they need for academic success.

Under the proposed formula, districts would receive a base funding amount for all students. Additional funds would be provided for students who require more educational services than others to be successful, such as disabled or economically disadvantaged students.

The new formula also would empower schools to spend their funding in ways that best fit the needs of their students, a change 80 percent of Georgians support. For instance, a school might offer better salaries to its highest-performing teachers, who could agree to take on additional responsibilities.

Lastly, it’s more transparent. The new, simple formula allows taxpayers to see how much money is allocated per student and why. That’s something 89 percent of Georgians favor.

These steps will upgrade Georgia’s educational system, but bringing Georgia’s funding formula into the 21st century is not the ultimate goal. What really matters is that doing so will help schools deliver better results for students – and this is just the start. Our goal is an education system that equips every Georgia student for success.