STATE OF EDUCATION FUNDING
Georgia
Fair school funding systems ensure that districts, schools, and ultimately students receive significant additional funding according to their specific needs. Providing high-quality learning opportunities for students living in poverty, English learners, students with disabilities, and rural students requires additional resources.
According to The Education Trust’s State of Funding Equity, in Georgia:
- The highest poverty districts receive $702 or 5.7% more state and local revenue than the lowest poverty districts.
- The districts serving the most students of color receive $489 or 3.8% more state and local revenue per student than the districts serving the fewest students of color.
- The districts serving the most English learners receive $635 or 4.8% less state and local revenue per student than the districts serving the fewest English learners.
For more information about how these data compare with other states or district specific information, see The Education Trust’s State of Funding Equity report.
Learn more about
how Georgia
funds students
Learn more about how GA funds students
According to EdBuild, “Georgia has a hybrid funding formula incorporating both resource-based and student-based elements. The formula determines the cost of delivering education to a student with no special needs or services based on the per-student cost associated with high school general education programs in the state, which it uses as a base amount, and provides increased funding to educate specific categories of students. The categories of students considered in Georgia’s funding policy are students in certain grade levels, English-language learners, students with disabilities, students identified as gifted, students enrolled in career and technical education programs, and students enrolled in small districts.” Additionally, Georgia does not have any specific and dedicated state funding for students in poverty.
The Education Law Center’s 2023 Making the Grade Report rated Georgia’s school funding:
- D on per-pupil funding relative to the national average.
- B on the percentage difference in per-pupil funding in high-poverty districts relative to low-poverty districts.
- C on the PK-12 funding as a percentage of state GDP.
How fair is
Georgia’s Funding?
Strong schools build strong communities, and that starts with fair and transparent funding. Our State Ratings Rubric shows how Georgia is doing when it comes to making sure every student gets the resources they need to thrive. Using criteria grounded in research, best practices, and what we know works for students, we rate Georgia across five key areas: whether the state funds students adequately, funds student needs equitably, funds districts appropriately, funds students transparently and effectively, and keeps public dollars in public schools.
To explore ratings across Southern states and learn more about the criteria we use, click here.
| Component | Description | Rating | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| FUND STUDENTS ADEQUATELY | |||
| Funding Adequacy | Per student funding is at or above the national average ($16,645). | Yellow | Per student funding was $1,703 less than the national average in the 2021-22 school year. |
| Yearly Increases | Base funding for all students increases every year to account for inflation. | TBD | Georgia has not set its per-student base amount for the 2025-26 school year yet. |
| Progressive Tax Policies | The state maintains healthy revenue sources for schools. | Red | Legislation passed in 2025 to reduce income taxes. |
| FUND STUDENT NEEDS EQUITABLY | |||
| Student-Based Formula | The funding formula is primarily student-based. | Yellow | Hybrid formula. |
| Students from Low-Income Backgrounds | The state provides additional funds for students from low-income backgrounds. | Red | No additional funding. |
| English Learners | The state provides additional funds for English Learners. | Green | 158% weight. |
| Students with Disabilities | The state provides additional funds for students with disabilities, based on their needs. | Green | Five different weights based on the type of disability, ranging from 141% to 486%. |
| FUND DISTRICTS APPROPRIATELY | |||
| Cost Sharing | The state requires local governments to share the cost based on their ability to pay. | Yellow | Local governments contribute based on their property wealth. |
| Local Revenue Cap | The state limits wealthy districts from contributing excessively more than other districts. | Yellow | The state sets a cap that voters can override. |
| Rural Districts | Small districts and districts with few students per square mile ("sparse districts") receive additional funds. | Yellow | Additional funding for some small districts through a grant program. |
| Concentrated Poverty | Districts with high concentrations of poverty receive additional funds. | Red | No additional funding |
| FUND STUDENTS TRANSPARENTLY & EFFECTIVELY | |||
| Formula Transparency | The funding formula is easy to understand and clearly explained. | Red | The formula is complicated, and the state education department does not publish a guide explaining how the formula works. |
| Funding Data | The state shares detailed, timely, and user-friendly public data on districts’ funding. | Green | Data shows how district funding was calculated and is timely and user-friendly. |
| District Spending Plans | The state requires districts to share public reports about how they invest funds to meet students' needs. | Red | No requirement. |
| Formula Review | The state requires a clear, stakeholder-led process to evaluate the formula and recommend improvements. | Yellow | The Governor appoints a task force every 3 years that consists of legislators, members from the State Board of Education, the Governor's office, and representatives of local school systems. |
| FUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS EXCLUSIVELY | |||
| Vouchers | The state does not divert public funds to private schools through voucher programs, education savings accounts, or scholarship tax credits. | Yellow | The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act provides vouchers for students with disabilities and an education savings account for students attending certain schools. |
Who’s Who
in Georgia
Legislature
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of Georgia. The General Assembly is a bicameral legislature. The House of Representatives has 180 members and the Senate has 56 members. The Georgia House of Representatives has a standing committee on Education and the Senate has a standing Education and Youth committee. In 2024, the legislature will convene January 8, 2024 and will run for no more than 40 legislative days.
State Superintendent of Education
The State School Superintendent in Georgia is an elected position. The State School Superintendent is the administrative head of the Georgia Department of Education, which oversees the state’s PK-12 education system. Elections for the State School Superintendent are every four years and are partisan.
State Board of Education
The Georgia Board of Education is composed of representatives from each of Georgia’s 14 congressional districts, appointed by the Governor with consent of the state Senate for seven-year terms.
