As suburbs eat up fund created to help poor school districts, Georgia governor and legislature cut it

"A fund designed to help poor school districts provide an education comparable to what’s available in wealthier systems was slashed $112 million this year by Georgia lawmakers looking for ways to balance an unsteady state budget," reports James Salzer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, calling it "just the latest blow to poor school systems already slashing staff and salaries, crowding classrooms and killing extracurricular programs."

The cuts are making some districts considering reactivating a lawsuit contending that the state has "an inadequate school funding system that leaves children behind in poor and rural areas of Georgia," Salzer reports. “It looks to me with the lawsuit still out there, you would think this equalization cut would become Exhibit A,” Herb Garrett, executive director of the Georgia School Superintendents Association, told Salzer. “If you’re going to cut, why not do it across the board? Why do it to the 75 percent of districts who can least afford it?” The suit, similar to those that have won more funding for property-poor districts in other states, was withdrawn in 2008 when a new judge was assigned to the case.

Supporters of the cut say the cost of the extra aid has ballooned lately, and is increasingly going to fast-growing suburban districts. Gov. Sonny Perdue, who leaves office next year and proposed the cuts, has said he wants to change the funding formula. Salzer's story has plenty of details about the process and examples from rural counties; to read it, click here.