For the first time in recent history, the Georgia General Assembly fully funded the Quality Basic Education funding formula and eliminated austerity cuts in its final passage of the Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) Budget, House Bill 684.

“Full funding for the QBE is essential to the future success of our state,” said Sen. John Albers (R – Roswell). “The FY19 budget will set the tone for generations of future growth. We have removed austerity cuts, increased funding for our school systems and ensured the security of the Teachers Retirement System. Thank you to Governor Nathan Deal, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and the leadership of both Chambers in coming to an agreement on a budget to fully fund these priorities. Our state’s future is bright, and fully funding QBE and eliminating austerity cuts is another step in the right direction toward having one of the most successful education systems in the nation.”

The FY19 budget fully funds the QBE formula and eliminates austerity cuts by allocating more than $167 million to the Department of Education for additional funding in K-12 schools. The budget also includes $15 million in new spending to purchase nearly 200 new school buses and $16 million to fund school safety grants throughout the state.

To review the entire FY19 Budget and Senate tracking document please follow the link below:

http://www.senate.ga.gov/sbeo/en-US/AppropriationsDocuments.aspx