Georgia Representative Phil Olaleye and Senator Jason Estevez Introduce Legislation to Change the Decades-Old Formula States Use to Determine Public School Funding

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Phil Olaleye
Representative | Atlanta, GA

Georgia Representative Phil Olaleye and Senator Jason Estevez Introduce Legislation to Change the Decades-Old Formula States Use to Determine Public School Funding

Idea Category: Education

Georgia Representative Phil Olaleye and Senator Jason Estevez have introduced legislation that seeks to change the formula that the state uses to determine funding for public schools. The current formula found in the Quality Basic Education Act of 1985 (QBE) only accounts for student-teacher ratios, while the new legislation would also weight funding to provide more resources for lower-income students. In addition, the new legislation would provide additional funding to students who are in the foster system, live in an unstable household, or receive SNAP or TANF benefits. “Over those four decades, the world has changed dramatically, but our funding formula has barely evolved. When QBE was created, there were no smartphones, no internet in classrooms and mental health support for students was not even a conversation. Yet we continue to fund education like time has stood still,” said Estevez.