Friday, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed the $37.7 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2026 inside the Georgia State Capitol. There will be $300 million allocated to fund the state’s Quality Basic Education K-12 student funding formula. Plus, $108.9 million in state grants will help local school systems pay for safety improvements on their campuses. Awhile $47.9 million is earmarked for student mental health programs.
“With $290 million dollars in additional funding going toward transportation projects, and $715 million dollars going to capital projects, including some for K-12 school systems, we are using the funds we have from years of growth to build stronger communities and encourage further investment and success,” Kemp said.
“We don’t follow the path that states like California, New York, Illinois, and others do,” Kemp added. “They’re growing government and raising taxes to cover budget deficits.”
Also, this budget includes more than $141 million to launch the Georgia Promise Scholarship program. This school choice program offers eligible students $6,500 in public funds for use on non-public education expenses in grades kindergarten through 12th grade.
Those funds can be used for private school tuition, tutoring services, and other qualified education expenses. Republicans believe it is a valuable opportunity for those seeking alternatives to their local public schools. Moreover, if a parent wanted to use the money to pay for part of a homeschooled education, the money would be placed into a Promise Scholarship Account. If a parent wants to utilize funds to pay for a particular school, the state must determine if the school is authorized to participate.
$47.9 million is earmarked for student mental health programs. This acknoledges tragedies at Apalachee High School in Barrow County last September after two students and two teachers were killed.
Could there be a Special Session later this year?
Democrats inside the Georgia State Senate sounded the alarms Thursday as the U.S. Congress could slash $163 billion from the federal budget. Those funds could affect education, housing, health, farming, and medical research next year in Georgia. State Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones II is calling for a special session if the Trump Administration gets their spending cuts.
“Our call today is to put this state in front of saving Georgia’s families, farmers, and small business owners,” said Jones. “The Chair of the Federal Reserve stated that the tariff shock has not yet hit. The governor himself has acknowledged that long-term tariffs will be extremely problematic for Georgia’s economy. So there is no point in waiting for the tariffs to hit, or the shock to our budget to occur before we actually start to act.”
According to the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, the Peach State receives $3 billion in federal funds for education. Additionally, 78% of Black or African-American children attending K-12 public schools attend Title I schools.
$594 million set aside for Title I schools would be lost if Congress defunds the Department of Education. Lastly, 7,251 teachers would be at risk of losing their jobs.
“So, should Trump and his sycophants make good on their promise to dismantle the Department of Education, I would expect us to go into a special session,” said Georgia State Representative and House Minority Caucus Chair, Tanya Miller.