Great Public Schools for Every Child!
Section 1 of Article VII of the Georgia Constitution requires that the state provide an adequate public education to every child that attends public schools in Georgia.
“Public education; free public education prior to college or postsecondary level; support by taxation. The provision of an adequate public education for the citizens shall be a primary obligation of the State of Georgia. Public education for the citizens prior to the college or postsecondary level shall be free and shall be provided for by taxation. The expense of other public education shall be provided for in such manner and in such amount as may be provided by law.”
The Georgia Association of Educators has long supported the sole use of taxpayer funds being reserved exclusively for public school expenditures. Over 92% of the children in Georgia attend a public school and with the migration of families from other states to the metro area and rural areas, that number will only continue to increase. The increasing number of families moving into Georgia will necessitate an increase in resources to address our growth. This is not an Association position that begs for increased funding but rather a position that encourages the adequate and equitable funding that is necessary so that public schools can meet the demands of our growing population, while guaranteeing that Georgia’s children are capable of competing in the 21st century marketplace and leading the way in student achievement. It is clear that using the public’s dollars to fund private school education for a few is bad public policy and essentially robs the public of its ability to decide where it spends its dollars.