Welcome to Collins Hill High School

<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Welcome to Collins Hill High School

From Dr. John D. Barge, GA State School Superintendent

The facts:

Since 2003, at least $5 billion earned through the QBE formula funding has been withheld from Georgia’s students. (see Attachment A)

This has led to students in two-thirds of school districts (121 out of 180) having shortened school years – ranging from 144 to 179 days – as well as pay cuts for thousands of Georgia teachers in the form of furlough days, and since 2008 alone, layoffs for 4,423 teachers throughout Georgia. (see Attachment B)

Yet the General Assembly plans to come up with more than $430 million in new state funds for state charter schools over the next five years – the cumulative cost assuming a new commission creates only seven new charter schools per year, the average approval rate of the previous commission. (see Attachment C)

In FY 2018 alone, it would cost $109 million per year in new state funds for the 50 state charter schools that would then exist (including the 15 already receiving extra state funds).

This includes the additional $33 million per year in additional state funds for the 15 state chartered special schools for this year alone (including the 13 schools created to serve former Commission school students).

These extra state funds average $7,400 per pupil – which is higher than the total funding of 60 Georgia school districts. (see Attachment D)

Instead, this $430 million should be used to restore the austerity cuts to students in Georgia’s traditional public schools – including those in Georgia’s locally-approved charter schools. Our students deserve a full 180-day school year and our teachers deserve full pay.

Restore the 180-day school year for Georgia’s students
Restore essential student services like student transportation and student support to effective levels
Restore all teacher positions with full pay for a full school year

Let me say this again: I fully support the creation of high quality charter schools for Georgia’s students.

But I only support high quality charter schools, those with a consistent record or those who have demonstrated capacity for:

Strong academic results
Well trained and high functioning governing boards
Financial sustainability
Legal and regulatory compliance

However, I cannot support the creation of a new, costly, and unnecessary state bureaucracy.

As a conservative, I believe our state needs to be fiscally responsible, support local community control, and limit government.

This amendment runs counter to all three of these critical conservative principles.

In fact, the amendment creates an unnecessary government agency and restricts local community control.

For more....Read the COMPLETE Fact Sheet

Attachments

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