Chorus Grows Louder Against Perdue’s School Cuts
Cobb Joins Gwinnett in Protesting Slashes to Education Budget
(Atlanta) For the second time in a week, a major school district has publicly rebuked Governor Perdue’s billion dollars in cuts to Georgia’s K-12 schools. Yesterday’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution article “Schools’ No. 1 wish: No more state cuts” noted that the state’s second largest school district was taking umbrage with Governor Perdue’s slashing of their budget. The article stated that “Cobb schools have lost $72 million in state dollars in Gov. Sonny Perdue's cost-cutting.” [Stepp, “Schools' No. 1 wish: No more state cuts,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 12/4/2005]
Last week, Gwinnett School Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks, who heads the state’s largest school district, asked legislators from his home county to help recoup the $87 million in cuts to the Gwinnett portion of the education funding formula since Governor Perdue took office. [Diamond, “Wilbanks to legislators: We need that $87 million,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 12/1/2005; Madan, “Wilbanks asks legislators to up county funding,” Gwinnett Daily Post, 12/1/2005]
Across Georgia, Perdue’s cuts have led to school systems freezing teacher pay, freezing hiring, increasing class sizes and cutting available classes and programs for students. These cuts have also forced at least 85 school districts to raise property taxes in the past 2 years. [Salzer, Jones, “Teachers get lesson in doing without,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/16/2003; “New state school superintendent defends education budget cuts,” Associated Press, 1/22/2003; D'Avria,
“Oconee County, Ga., School District Implements Temporary Hiring Freeze,” Athens Banner-Herald, 3/30/2004; Baydala, “North Georgia school systems preparing for deep budget cuts,” Chattanooga Times Free Press, 2/1/2004; Georgia State Legislature, “Office of Student Achievement,” SB 249, signed 5/20/03, www.legis.state.ga.us; Georgia State Legislature, “Education, amend provisions,” HB 1190, signed 5/5/04, www.legis.state.ga.us; Georgia State Legislature, “Education, expenditure controls, SB 35, passed House and Senate, www.legis.state.ga.us; Millage Rates from the Georgia Department of Revenue]
The state’s two largest school districts are not alone in suffering from these deep cuts to education under Governor Perdue. For the state as a whole, Governor Perdue’s cuts to K-12 education funding total nearly $1.1 billion.
Gov. Perdue’s K-12 Education Cuts
Amount
Cite
State Board of Education (QBE Funding)
Fiscal Year 2006
332,835,102
[The Governor’s Budget Report, Amended FY 2005 & FY 2006, p. 181]
Fiscal Year 2005
332,835,102
[The Governor’s Budget Report, Amended FY 2005 & FY 2006, p. 181]
Fiscal Year 2004
283,478,659
[The Governor’s Budget Report, Amended FY 2005 & FY 2006, p. 181]
Amended Fiscal Year 2003
134,594,245
[Comparative Summary of HB 121, S.F.Y. 2003 Amended General Appropriations Act, p.18]
Total K-12 cuts
1,083,743,108
As several newspapers across Georgia have editorialized, Gov. Perdue and the Republicans in the General Assembly simply are not making investment in education a priority. Gov. Perdue and the Republicans in the General Assembly have slashed education funding every year they have been in office. Republicans may talk about securing Georgia’s future, but their poor education record speaks otherwise.
“Our children’s education is simply not a priority with Gov. Perdue’s administration and it’s forcing school districts to slash critical programs and raise taxes,” said Bobby Kahn, Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia.
--------------------------------------------
Had enough? Click here to see how Georgia Democrats Deliver!
(Atlanta) For the second time in a week, a major school district has publicly rebuked Governor Perdue’s billion dollars in cuts to Georgia’s K-12 schools. Yesterday’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution article “Schools’ No. 1 wish: No more state cuts” noted that the state’s second largest school district was taking umbrage with Governor Perdue’s slashing of their budget. The article stated that “Cobb schools have lost $72 million in state dollars in Gov. Sonny Perdue's cost-cutting.” [Stepp, “Schools' No. 1 wish: No more state cuts,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 12/4/2005]
Last week, Gwinnett School Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks, who heads the state’s largest school district, asked legislators from his home county to help recoup the $87 million in cuts to the Gwinnett portion of the education funding formula since Governor Perdue took office. [Diamond, “Wilbanks to legislators: We need that $87 million,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 12/1/2005; Madan, “Wilbanks asks legislators to up county funding,” Gwinnett Daily Post, 12/1/2005]
Across Georgia, Perdue’s cuts have led to school systems freezing teacher pay, freezing hiring, increasing class sizes and cutting available classes and programs for students. These cuts have also forced at least 85 school districts to raise property taxes in the past 2 years. [Salzer, Jones, “Teachers get lesson in doing without,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/16/2003; “New state school superintendent defends education budget cuts,” Associated Press, 1/22/2003; D'Avria,
“Oconee County, Ga., School District Implements Temporary Hiring Freeze,” Athens Banner-Herald, 3/30/2004; Baydala, “North Georgia school systems preparing for deep budget cuts,” Chattanooga Times Free Press, 2/1/2004; Georgia State Legislature, “Office of Student Achievement,” SB 249, signed 5/20/03, www.legis.state.ga.us; Georgia State Legislature, “Education, amend provisions,” HB 1190, signed 5/5/04, www.legis.state.ga.us; Georgia State Legislature, “Education, expenditure controls, SB 35, passed House and Senate, www.legis.state.ga.us; Millage Rates from the Georgia Department of Revenue]
The state’s two largest school districts are not alone in suffering from these deep cuts to education under Governor Perdue. For the state as a whole, Governor Perdue’s cuts to K-12 education funding total nearly $1.1 billion.
Gov. Perdue’s K-12 Education Cuts
Amount
Cite
State Board of Education (QBE Funding)
Fiscal Year 2006
332,835,102
[The Governor’s Budget Report, Amended FY 2005 & FY 2006, p. 181]
Fiscal Year 2005
332,835,102
[The Governor’s Budget Report, Amended FY 2005 & FY 2006, p. 181]
Fiscal Year 2004
283,478,659
[The Governor’s Budget Report, Amended FY 2005 & FY 2006, p. 181]
Amended Fiscal Year 2003
134,594,245
[Comparative Summary of HB 121, S.F.Y. 2003 Amended General Appropriations Act, p.18]
Total K-12 cuts
1,083,743,108
As several newspapers across Georgia have editorialized, Gov. Perdue and the Republicans in the General Assembly simply are not making investment in education a priority. Gov. Perdue and the Republicans in the General Assembly have slashed education funding every year they have been in office. Republicans may talk about securing Georgia’s future, but their poor education record speaks otherwise.
“Our children’s education is simply not a priority with Gov. Perdue’s administration and it’s forcing school districts to slash critical programs and raise taxes,” said Bobby Kahn, Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia.
--------------------------------------------
Had enough? Click here to see how Georgia Democrats Deliver!
Comments