Houston County schools could see close to $3 million in new state funding next year, but it's money they were, at least theoretically, supposed to have had for a long time.
The state allots money to public schools using a formula that's part of a program known as Quality Basic Education, or QBE.
Houston County School District superintendent Mark Scott says austerity measures imposed in 2002 reduced the program's funding and further cuts came during the Great Recession.
That meant schools were getting less money than the formula said they were supposed to receive. As a result, they had to cut costs and, in some cases, let teachers go.
"One of the most difficult times in my career was sitting across the desk from people that were losing their jobs," said Scott.
However, over the past few years, QBE funding has steadily increased. According to Scott, the difference between what the formula said Houston County schools should receive and what they actually got closed from roughly $18.5 million in 2014 to around $3 million in 2018.
In the latest state legislature session, elected officials under the Gold Dome passed a budget that fully funded QBE.
It's a budget State Representative Heath Clark says he was proud to vote for.
"We're always talking about funding, funding, funding and education's always the highest item in the budget. This year, we had the money to get it done," said Clark.
Scott says the roughly $3 million that Houston County schools could receive from that new state budget is a welcome addition, but it's a small percentage of the system's more than $300 million budget.
Still, he says the money could help with anything from teacher retirement plan funding to increasing the system's financial reserves. It could even help defray the cost of textbooks.
"On a year that we don't purchase textbooks and instructional supplies, we end up spending $700,000 to $800,000--almost a million dollars--just on maintaining what we have," said Scott.
The school system's budget won't be finalized for several months, but no matter how the money is ultimately used, Scott says he's glad to have that extra money to work with.
Houston County isn't the only district that will benefit, either. State Representative Heath Clark says all districts across Georgia should see more state dollars as a result of a fully-funded QBE.
In Bibb County, school system spokesperson Stephanie Hartley says the district is looking forward to roughly $2.2 million in new funding in fiscal year 2019.