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INTERCHANGE '*7~ 
 
Volume 2 Summer, 1995 
Educational Funds Redirected for FY 1997 
 
After a month of debate that produced the Board of Education's largest public meeting to date, the Georga Board of Education approved the fiscal year (FY) 1997 education budget proposed by State Superintendent of Schools Linda Schrenko. In response to the Governor's request that each state agency identify 5% of its current budget for redirection in FY 1997, the Board elected to redirect a total of $231,612,382for this purpose. The Board chose to redxect funds for aides for grades K-3 ($164,267,648), clerical staff in grades 4-8 ($10,293,175), and incentive grants for middle schools ($57,051,559). The total budget proposal approved during the September 14 meeting is approximately $4 billion. 
The proposed redirection of funds is the result of an overall statewide budget reduction initiated by Governor Zell Miller. According 
 
INSIDE 
 
>>Calendar of Events 
 
P. 4 
 
>>ECS Chairman 
 
P. 7 
 
>>GCOVE Editorials 
 
p. 2-3 
 
>>GCOVE Publications Insert 
 
>>Georgia Partnership p. 8 
 
>>SE/NE Regional Conf. p. 9 
 
>>New On-line Service p. 10 
 
>>Next Generation Schools p. 5 
 
>>Occupational Information p. 7 
 
>>P-16 Council 
 
p. 10 
 
>>Public Hearings >>School-To-Work >>Student Scientists 
 
P. 6 P. 5 p. 10 
 
>>Workforce Development p. 8 
 
to the Governor's Office of Planning 
 
proposed Department's current 
 
and Budget "rehrection is not 
 
budget. Her proposal eliminated 
 
simply a means to cut the budget 
 
certain state-funded programs and 
 
but is rather a systematic process to 
 
created block grants to allow local 
 
fundamentallyreorder the priorities 
 
school systems to use the money for 
 
of state government and allocate 
 
other programs or to reduce class 
 
budget resources accordingly.. It 
 
size. Her proposal included some of 
 
does not involve any new or 
 
the recommendations shown in the 
 
additional state funds and serves 
 
chart below. 
 
three primary purposes: 1) to h d 
 
Under the 1985 Quality Basic 
 
ongoing services or enhancements 
 
Education Act (QBE), the allocation 
 
using the current level of resources, 
 
of educational funding is dnven by 
 
2) to fund growth in formula and 
 
formulas or other provisions written 
 
entitlement related services in a way 
 
into the legislation. In the State 
 
that minimizes the amount of new 
 
Superintendent's redirection plan, 
 
resources that have been historically 
 
ten QBE items were proposed for 
 
needed in these areas, and 3 ) to 
 
significant modification or 
 
increase fund availability for 
 
elimination from the state formula. 
 
priority areas within state government as a whole." There is 
 
Of these, 3 are QBE formula cost components (aides, extended day 
 
no guarantee, however, that funds 
 
salaries, and professional 
 
offered for rehrection will be spent 
 
development stipends), 4 are 
 
within the agency offering those 
 
categorical grant programs (SIA, 
 
funds. 
 
ESOL, ISS, and middle school 
 
At the August Board meeting, 
 
incentive grants), and 3 are 
 
State Superintendent Schrenko a 
 
weighted student programs 
 
budget that redirected 10% of the 
1 
 
See Redirection, p. 4. 
 
1997 Budget Redirection Recommendations 
 
State Board of Education 
 
w Redirect funding for aides in grades K-3. w Redirect funding for the Special Instructional Assistance (SIA) Program. w Redirect funding for the Middle School Incentive Program. 
Redirect funding for the Remedial Education Program. w Change the fimding ratios for high school vocational and non-vocational 
labs from 18 to 22. w Redirect fundingfor extended day salaries in grades 9-12 and for hlgh 
school vocational and non-vocational labs. w Redirect funding for the In-School Suspension (ISS) Program.