The Georgia House passed a midyear budget Thursday that adds $1.1 billion in new state spending, mostly for schools and road projects.
The midyear budget takes the state through the end of the fiscal year, June 30. The Senate is expected to approve its version in the next few weeks.
Midyear budgets are designed to fill in gaps in annual spending plans approved by lawmakers.
This one will send about $110 million to public school districts to help pay the costs associated with the rising number of students in schools.
Several other school programs would get more money. About $20 million would go to programs designed to let high school students get a head start toward a college degree by taking college courses. An additional $30 million is needed to fully fund HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships. And $15 million was tacked on to provide grants to local school systems for broadband Internet connectivity.
The budget includes an additional $750 million for road projects. That extra money came from fuel and hotel taxes that the General Assembly increased last year.
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