Legislative Day 20 was fairly quick and both chambers packed up by lunch as the 2019, Amended Budget was discussed and versions passed in both chambers. So with minor changes, I anticipate this is completed and on the way to the Governor’s desk very soon. Today I will focus on this 2019, amended budget.
HB 30 2019, Amended Budget in its final highlights. The K-12 education Governor’s recommended key parts of the budget are essentially intact. The conference committees from both chambers have hammered out differences and now agreed on the budget. House Budget Office Final FY19 Amended Budget Highlights document
2019, Amended Budget Highlights (found pages 34-37 of HB 30 documents)
Audio-Video Tech & Film Grants $2.5 million
Chief Turnaround Officer $2 million
GNETS $75 million
Non Quality Basic Education Grants 11.7 million
Equalization $615 million
QBE Five mill share adjusted due to HB 787 by ($18 million)
Dual Enrollment add $1.6 million
Mental Health Counselors to expand the Georgia APEX program providing support for mental health services in high schools. Add $8.4 million.
QBE Program
Increase Midterm adjustment $86 million
Increase State Commission charter School Supplement $42 Million
Increase midterm adjustment to the charter school grant. $566,559
Increase midterm adjustment for special NEeds Scholarship $822,191
RESAs 13.9 million
**One time School Security Grants $69.4 million (which equals $30,000 per school for the state of Georgia)
Technology/Career Education
Increase for middle school coding labs in rural or high poverty school districts $500,000
Additional details are in the document click able link above but I think this will pretty much be the final bill with always a possibility of last minute minor changes.
Worth noting-In this same budget outside education $20 million was appropriated (Economic Development) for emergency disaster relief to Georgia farmers in counties impacted by Hurricane Michael.
Both chambers will move on to the FY20 budget over the next few weeks. This one might have few challenges in getting the teacher raises budgeted for while cleaning it up so all certificated personnel receive a close to $3,000 bump. Some of the support personnel are currently left out of this raise. We will follow those developments.
The Legislature will be in session for Legislative Day 21 on Monday, February 25, 2019, at 10am.
Bills scheduled to be heard Monday, February 25.
Senate Ed
SB 83 (Mullis, 53rd) LC 33 7598: Quality Basic Education; elective courses in History and Literature of the Old and New Testament Eras; provisions; revise; Hearing Only
SB 60 (Martin IV, 9th) LC 33 7534: “Jeremy Nelson and Nick Blakely Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act”: Hearing Only
House Ed
HB 1 Rep. Jesse Petrea Senator Eric Johnson Scholarship Act
HB 12 Rep. Rick Williams post sign containing telephone number to receive reports of child abuse; require every public school (this bill is a repeat from last year)
Quote: The quality, not longevity, of one’s life is what is important. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Have a great weekend!
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