Legislative Priorities for the City Schools of Decatur
Priority I: Funding (Draft)
The Constitution obligates the Governor and the General Assembly to provide an adequate public education for all students in the state of Georgia. However the burden of funding general maintenance and operation and capital costs of public school districts has increasingly shifted from the state to the local taxpayer.
City Schools of Decatur urges the Governor and members of the General Assembly to honor their constitutional obligation by supporting legislation that provides adequate funding for public education in Georgia in the following ways:
Oppose HR 900 which seeks to replace local property tax with a state-wide sales tax to fund public education.
Oppose legislation that reduces tax revenue thereby limiting the local school districts’ ability to support education funding including but not limited to:
- Replacement of property tax with a state sales tax
- Elimination of ad valorem taxation on motor vehicles
- Elimination of the state corporate income tax
- Reduction or elimination of the state personal income tax for senior citizens
- Taxpayer Bill of Rights (T.A.B.O.R.) that seeks to place a limitation on the annual increase in both state and local revenues.
- Limitation on growth in assessed value of property.
- A state-wide assessment freeze for homestead properties
Oppose any legislation that expands the allocation of public funds to private schools or home study through voucher or tuition tax credits.
Oppose any proposed funding formulas which adversely impact small and/or high performing school districts.
Support full funding of the QBE formula and restoration of austerity reductions. Since FY 2003, these cuts have taken away $2,341,502 earned by Decatur students.
Support re-establishment of system average maximum class sizes for grades K-12.
Support lowering the state required five mill local effort.
Support continued funding for the School Health Nurse Program.
Priority II: Governance/Local Control (Draft)
The Georgia Constitution affirms the notion that government is best when it is closest to the people by clearly placing the responsibility of governance of public education with local boards of education.
As an education plan is developed for the state of Georgia, City Schools of Decatur urges the Governor and members of the General Assembly to recognize and affirm the constitutionally-established partnership between the local board of education and the state which empowers the local board with the role and responsibility of decision-making related to education.
Governance: Revenues
Opposed HR 900 (the GREAT tax plan) which proposed to eliminate the authority of local boards of education to levy property tax for the purpose of funding education in their community and replace it with a state-wide sales tax which is volatile and unpredictable.
Support the protection of the rights of local school boards to levy and collect property tax for the purpose of funding education in their community and to seek voter approval to levy and collect education SPLOST funds for capital improvements.
Governance: 65% Classroom Expenditures
Oppose legislative efforts to determine how local funds are allocated. Specifically, the Classrooms First for Georgia Act (OCGA 20-2-171) should be amended to accurately reflect the current definition of direct classroom expenditures established by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Expenditures for instrucional support such as media specialists, nurses, guidance counselors, and professional learning should be included and expenditures for federally-funded school nutrition should be removed from the calculation.
Governance: School Calendar
Oppose legislation that would mandate a state-wide school start date.
Governance: Curriculum
Oppose efforts to define and mandate curriculum through legislation.
Governance: Extra Curricular Activities
Oppose efforts to mandate any prerequisite for participation in extra-curricular activities and any legislation that would allow public funds to be used for non-public school or home study students.
Additional Position Statements (Draft)
CSD supports standards for all public school restrooms.
CSD supports making the Teacher Retirement System available to all public school employees.
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