25 LC 49 9002S
The House Committee on Education offers the following substitute to HB 12:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Code Section 20-2-165 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1
equalization grants, annual calculations, and allocation, so as to revise the definition of the2
term "qualified local school system" by reducing the minimum required millage rate or3
effective millage rate from 14 mills to 10 mills; to provide for a 25 percent reduction of4
equalization grant awards for local school systems whose millage rate or equivalent millage5
rate does not meet the minimum requirement; to require annual reporting by the Department6
of Education; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8
SECTION 1.9
Code Section 20-2-165 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to equalization10
grants, annual calculations, and allocation, is amended by revising paragraph (9) of11
subsection (a) and adding two new subsections to read as follows:12
"(9) 'Qualified local school system' is defined as any local school system:13
(A) Having an assessed valuation per weighted full-time equivalent count for the year14
of the digest which is below the guaranteed valuation;15
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(B) Having an effective millage rate greater than the millage rate applied to calculate16
the local five mill share pursuant to subsection (a) of Code Section 20-2-164; and17
(C) Beginning July 1, 2015, having a millage rate or an equivalent millage of at least18
12 mills; beginning July 1, 2016, having a millage rate or an equivalent millage of at19
least 12 1/2 mills; beginning July 1, 2017, having a millage rate or an equivalent20
millage of at least 13 mills; beginning July 1, 2018, having a millage rate or an21
equivalent millage of at least 13 1/2 mills; beginning July 1, 2019, and thereafter,22
having a millage rate or an equivalent millage of at least 14 mills July 1, 2025, and23
thereafter, having a millage rate or an equivalent millage rate of at least 10 mills."24
"(d.1) If, after a local school system's equalization grant has been calculated for the25
ensuing fiscal year as provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section, such local school26
system decreases the actual or equivalent millage rate levied against its digest for27
maintenance and operation to an amount below the minimum amount required in28
subparagraph (a)(9)(C) of this Code section, a midterm adjustment in such local school29
system's equalization grant shall be made such that the total equalization grant amount30
awarded to such local school system is reduced to an amount equal to 75 percent of the31
initial equalization grant amount."32
"(f) Each year, the Department of Education shall prepare a report of each local school33
system that received an equalization grant the previous fiscal year. Such report shall34
include for each local school system the initial equalization grant amount, the midterm35
adjustment to the equalization grant, and the total amount of equalization grants received36
in the previous ten years. Such report shall also identify each local school system that37
received an equalization grant during the previous fiscal year while having a millage rate38
or an equivalent millage rate of less than 10 mills for the period of time upon which the39
calculation of such equalization grant was based. Each year, no later than September 1, the40
Department of Education shall provide such report to the chairpersons of the House41
Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Appropriations Committee, the House42
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Committee on Education, the Senate Education and Youth Committee, the director of the43
Office of Planning and Budget, the director of the Senate Budget and Evaluation Office,44
and the director of the House Budget and Research Office."45
SECTION 2.46
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.47
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