House Bill 796
By: Representatives Lupton of the 83rd and Lim of the 98th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 4 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to financing under the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to revise
QBE program weights based on recommendations of the 2015 Education Reform
Commission; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Part 4 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to financing under the "Quality Basic Education Act," is amended by revising Code
Section 20-2-161, relating to the Quality Basic Education Formula, as follows:
"20-2-161.
(a) The <del>high</del> <ins>middle</ins> school general education program is declared to be the base program
against which the cost of all other instructional programs shall be compared. The amount
of funds needed by each full-time equivalent student in the base program, in order that such
program can be sufficiently funded to provide quality basic education to all enrolled
students, shall be known as the 'base amount' and shall reflect program components which
constitute the program weight for the <del>high</del> <ins>middle</ins> school general education program in
Code Sections 20-2-182 through 20-2-186. However, the General Assembly shall annually
establish through the General Appropriations Act the base amount to be used each year.
In the event that the base amount so established when multiplied by the program weights
in subsection (b) of this Code section requires funds in excess of the appropriation for the
Quality Basic Education Formula grants, the funds which are appropriated for the Quality
Basic Education Formula shall be prorated to each of the Quality Basic Education Formula
cost categories.
(b) As the cost of instructional programs varies depending upon the <del>teacher-student ratios
and</del> specific services typically required to address the special needs of students enrolled,
state authorized instructional programs shall have the following program weights <del>and
teacher-student ratios:
(1) Kindergarten program</del> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>1.6901
weight and
1 to 15
ratio
(2) Kindergarten early intervention program</del> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>2.0951
weight and
1 to 11
ratio
</del>
<del>(3) Primary grades program (1-3)</del> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>1.3029
weight and
1 to 17
ratio
(4) Primary grades early intervention program (1-3)</del> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>1.8388
weight and
1 to 11
ratio
(5) Upper elementary grades program (4-5)</del> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>1.0417
weight and
1 to 23
ratio
(6) Upper elementary grades early intervention program (4-5)</del> . . . . . . . . . <del>1.8340
weight and
1 to 11
ratio
(7) Middle school program (6-8)</del> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>1.1439
weight and
1 to 20
ratio
</del>
<del>(8) High school general education program (9-12)</del> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>1.0000
weight and
1 to 23
ratio
(9) Career, technical, and agricultural education
laboratory program (9-12)</del> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>1.1762
weight and
1 to 20
ratio
(10) Program for persons with disabilities: 2.4763
Category I</del> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>weight and
1 to 8
ratio
(11) Program for persons with disabilities:
Category II</del> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>2.9213
weight and
1 to 6.5
ratio
(12) Program for persons with disabilities:
Category III</del> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>3.7151
weight and
1 to 5
ratio
</del>
<del>(13) Program for persons with disabilities:
Category IV</del> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>6.0106
weight and
1 to 3
ratio
(14) Program for persons with disabilities:
Category V</del> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>2.5307
weight and
1 to 8
ratio
(15) Program for intellectually gifted students: 1.7340
Category VI</del> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>weight and
1 to 12
ratio
(16) Remedial education program</del> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>1.3698
weight and
1 to 15
ratio
(17) Alternative education program</del> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>1.5026
weight and
1 to 15
ratio
</del>
<del>(18) English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) program</del> . . . . . . . . . <del>2.6313
weight and
1 to 7
ratio
</del> <ins>(1) Students enrolled in pre-kindergarten through grade three . . . 0.2954 weight
(2) Students enrolled in grades four and five . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.0813 weight
(3) Students enrolled in grades nine through 12</ins> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <ins>0.0845 weight
(4) Career, technical, and agricultural education students . . . . . . 0.0496 weight
(5) Students with disabilities – Category A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.4263 weight
(6) Students with disabilities – Category B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.7401 weight
(7) Students with disabilities – Category C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.8517 weight
(8) Students with disabilities – Category D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.5761 weight
(9) Students with disabilities – Category E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1056 weight
(10) Students identified as intellectually gifted</ins> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <ins>0.3377 weight
(11) Economically disadvantaged students</ins> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <ins>0.0997 weight
(12) English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) program
students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.2035 weight
</ins> (c) For purposes of calculating the annual allotment of funds to each local school system,
the program weights may be carried to as many additional decimal places as needed and
may be varied from the weights stated in subsection (b) of this Code section, consistent
with cost-of-living adjustments granted by the General Assembly for salaried and
nonsalaried components, by not more than 1 1/2 percent.
(d) The total funds needed for the Quality Basic Education Program for each local school
system shall be calculated annually. Such total shall represent the product of the following
calculations for each of the programs identified in subsection (b) of this Code section:
(1) Multiply the average full-time equivalent program count pursuant to subsection (b)
of Code Section 20-2-160 by the respective program weight established in subsection (b)
of this Code section;
(2) Multiply the product computed in paragraph (1) of this subsection by the base
amount as established in the General Appropriations Act; and
(3) Add the product computed in paragraph (2) of this subsection to the program
adjustment amount for training and experience for the instructional program in
accordance with subsection (e) of this Code section.
The process and associated components contained within this Code section shall be known
as the 'Quality Basic Education Formula.'
(e) The State Board of Education shall annually calculate for each instructional program
provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section for each local school system the amount
of additional funds needed beyond the amounts reflected in the base amount and the
program weights, in order to pay the state minimum salaries pursuant to Code
Section 20-2-212. The calculation of such additional amount shall be based on all
certificated professional personnel who were employed by the local school system as of the
month of October for the most recent year that these data are available; provided, however,
that the amount needed for training and experience for personnel funded through
categorical grants shall only be included in the appropriate categorical grant. The amount
shall be reported for each program identified in subsection (b) of this Code section for each
full-time equivalent program count date and by segment of the school day and for each
categorical program. Such additional amount shall be known as 'program adjustment
amount for training and experience' and this amount shall be noted in total in the language
section of the General Appropriations Act each year.
(f) As the relative costs of the various program components will change over time and as
some components will need to be added or removed, the Governor shall appoint a task
force every three years for the purposes of reviewing the effectiveness of existing program
weights and recommending to the General Assembly any changes needed. This task force
shall be comprised of members or staff of the General Assembly, the State Board of
Education, the Governor's office, and representatives of local school systems."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.