Georgia’s current school funding system is inadequate for low-income communities. As a Georgia Tech student, I’ve seen firsthand how geography and historic trends have created deep inequalities across Atlanta alone. Because public school funding relies heavily on property taxes, public schools in wealthier areas receive more resources than others and public schools in poorer neighborhoods are left behind.

On the surface, Georgia looks "progressive" in providing more funding on average to high-poverty students. However, this funding is still insufficient as Georgia ranks 36 out of 51 in funding per pupil (Education Law Center) and ranks 39th in the nation for child and family well-being. Additionally, Georgia's public school funding formula doesn't factor in poverty, even though decades of research proves that impoverished students require 40-100% more funding for effective instruction, academic support, updated technology, qualified teachers, and safe, high-quality facilities. These resources are not luxuries; they are necessities that substantially improve life-long outcomes for students including increased educational attainability and decreased homelessness, crime, and incarceration. To this day, Georgia is one of six states that don't include a poverty weight in its Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding formula. This means our state is especially failing to provide the support that low-income students need to succeed.

Our state already has the annual revenue it needs to take action and fix this, but it doesn't since its residents don't speak up and advocate for it. As students continue falling behind with one of the worst adequacy rates, Georgia is consistently ranked one of the worst states to be in as a child. Many of our future leaders are being left to fend for themselves without a support structure to give them a fair fighting chance.

But you can help change that! Georgia lawmakers are waiting for its residents to speak up. Join us in urging the state to adopt a permanent poverty weight in the QBE formula so that all children have equal access to a quality education.

Sign this petition and help ensure that every child in Georgia has a fair chance to succeed, regardless of their zip code or socio-economic background.