25 LC 49 2099
Senate Bill 44
By: Senators Watson of the 11th, Goodman of the 8th, Summers of the 13th, Hufstetler of
the 52nd, Kennedy of the 18th and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Code Section 20-2-165 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
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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 effective millage5
rate does not meet the minimum requirement; to require annual reporting by the Department6
of Education; to repeal a definition; 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 repealing paragraph (5.1) of11
subsection (a), revising paragraph (9) of subsection (a), and adding two new subsections to12
read as follows:13
"(9) 'Qualified local school system' is defined as any local school system:14
(A) Having an assessed valuation per weighted full-time equivalent count for the year15
of the digest which is below the guaranteed valuation;16
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(B) Having an effective millage rate greater than the millage rate applied to calculate
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the local five mill share pursuant to subsection (a) of Code Section 20-2-164; and18
(C) Beginning July 1, 2015, having a millage rate or an equivalent millage of at least
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12 mills; beginning July 1, 2016, having a millage rate or an equivalent millage of at20
least 12 1/2 mills; beginning July 1, 2017, having a millage rate or an equivalent21
millage of at least 13 mills; beginning July 1, 2018, having a millage rate or an22
equivalent millage of at least 13 1/2 mills; beginning July 1, 2019, and thereafter,23
having a millage rate or an equivalent millage of at least 14 mills July 1, 2025, and24
thereafter, having a millage rate or an effective millage rate of at least 10 mills."25
"(d.1) If, after a local school system's equalization grant has been calculated for the26
ensuing fiscal year as provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section, such local school27
system decreases the actual or effective millage rate levied against its digest for28
maintenance and operation to an amount below the minimum amount required in29
subparagraph (a)(9)(C) of this Code section, a midterm adjustment in such local school30
system's equalization grant shall be made such that the total equalization grant amount31
awarded to such local school system is reduced to an amount equal to 75 percent of the32
initial equalization grant amount."33
"(f) Each year, the Department of Education shall prepare a report of each local school34
system that received an equalization grant the previous fiscal year. Such report shall35
include for each local school system the initial equalization grant amount, the midterm36
adjustment to the equalization grant, and the total amount of equalization grants received37
in the previous ten years. Such report shall also identify each local school system that38
received an equalization grant during the previous fiscal year while having a millage rate39
or an effective millage rate of less than 10 mills for the period of time upon which the40
calculation of such equalization grant was based. Each year, no later than September 1, the41
Department of Education shall provide such report to the chairpersons of the House42
Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Appropriations Committee, the House43
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Committee on Education, the Senate Education and Youth Committee, the director of the44
Office of Planning and Budget, the director of the Senate Budget and Evaluation Office,45
and the director of the House Budget and Research Office."46
SECTION 2.47
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.48
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