Exclusive: Deal warns of cuts to K-12, need to ’salvage’ HOPE
Gov.-elect Nathan Deal said Tuesday that he has spent the past month since the November election realizing the full extent of the state’s budget woes and warned in an exclusive interview that extremely difficult choices remain.
In a 30-minute interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Deal warned that local governments, teachers and school administrators must ready themselves for further cuts to K-12 spending and that drastic measures may be necessary to save the HOPE scholarship program.
The Republican, who will be sworn in Jan. 10, also said that his proposal for cutting the corporate income tax by a third should be part of any recommendations that a special committee studying the state’s tax system makes in the next month.
Here are some highlights from the interview. More to come.
On the HOPE scholarship:
“That’s not a very good picturing looming out there,” Deal said. “The Legislature, of course, already put statutory changes in place to deal with the so-called ‘first trigger’ that will cut in half the book allowance this summer. It’s somewhat obvious we will then immediately move into the second trigger, that will be eliminating the book allowance all together. Even all those will not be able to put us on a stable footing. There will have to be some choices. And some of these will have to be statutory changes to salvage the program.”
Some of those changes could involve eliminating the grant for students to take remedial programs in college, Deal said.
“The one I least favor, of course, is getting away from merit-based,” Deal said. “I think we need to keep it merit based and I think we’ll be able to do that.
“We may have to go back to a very fundamental approach and that is look at HOPE as it was originally conceived and passed and look at all the enhancements added to it over the years and decide which of those enhancements can we continue with, which need to be eliminated.”
On K-12 funding, Deal said the choices are grim.
“Both funding sources, both state and local, are under severe attack in terms of the pressure that is being felt,” Deal said. “The reality is there are going to be tough choices again on K-12 education budgets again this year. There’s no way around that. I advocated, you may recall, during the campaign we ought to look at freeing up choices for local boards of education to use revenue as they deem more appropriate.”
Read the full story – and reaction to Deal’s comments – in tomorrow’s AJC.
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217 comments Add your comment
Seal the Deal
December 7th, 2010
4:17 pm
If the Hope scholarship is the number 1 reason businesses move or stay in GA, it must be protected. What has hurt it is the run away inflation at USG, and most of that is not academically related. Maybe the Chancellor and his Board need to be more responsible, since they are the largest beneficiary of Hope. Go back to when Hope started and look at the inflation rate vs. the inflation rate at USG. Cut them back and hold them accountable.
Cutting k-12 is the same as cutting Hope. Just as the state starts to see improvement, the plan becomes gut the schools. With an uneducated poplulation, who will work in business and pay taxes to support state functions?
And, if we cut corporate income taxes, where will the corresponding cuts in spending be made?
We didn’t elect a Governor to paint a grim picture. If he was truly surprised, we made the wrong choice. The picture was grim and Deal was elected to lead us through the next four years of tough decisions. Either lead or resign.
Lynn43
December 7th, 2010
4:26 pm
For all you educators who said, “I remember what Roy Barnes did”, and voted for Deal, I hope you remember (in four years) what Deal has done and correct your vote to someone who gives a flip about education and your job. This guy is interested in one thing (just what Sonny was interested in), finding a way to improve his own financial position.
Jebbery
December 7th, 2010
4:29 pm
Look at the bright side…On furlough days, you’ll be able to take your child to Sonny’s big fishing museum, and in a few years, you’ll be able to take them to the new College Football Hall of Fame. That’s some learnin’ too…
timthebrave
December 7th, 2010
4:36 pm
I dare them to show how much money they are spending on Hope alone compared with how much money the lottery is bringing in. I bet this money is getting spent elsewhere on “special projects”. in fact I know this is the case even though we were promised if we voted for lottery it will cover Hope scholarship….Lies…always lies
wondering
December 7th, 2010
4:37 pm
Jebbery is right on. Wasted money that could be better spent. No objections to either program, IF WE HAD THE MONEY. WE DON’T.
Georgia Public Broadcasting Steals from Hope
December 7th, 2010
4:37 pm
The crooks (IMHO) at GPB have stolen tens of millions of dollars from the Hope program. They used the money to build a fancy HQ of marble and glass for themselves. I urge the State Legislature to dissolve GPB, sell their fancy building for whatever it will bring, and use the money to fund hope. School scores have plummeted since GPB was created, proving it does NOT help educate our children. Abolish the bloodsucking deadbeats NOW!
DAISY
December 7th, 2010
4:38 pm
look on the brughtsides u condesening holyier than thou tax money got to come from somewhereee go bama he’s smart educated wants to fix economy give him a shot god bless us all we need it love daisy
C
December 7th, 2010
4:38 pm
My wife is a teacher, she is making less than she did two years ago and spending more from her own pocket on classroom supplies due to budget cuts. Healthcare insurance costs have increased and the coverage has declined. My first suggestion is start at the top and reduce the pay of many of these superintendents such as Fred Sanderson of Cobb County who not long ago gave himself a $25,000 raise. Nice work if you can get it.
LukasAtl
December 7th, 2010
4:38 pm
Its very simple, uneducated population = easy to control and manipulate
Ga Educator
December 7th, 2010
4:40 pm
The Governor Elect is quickly putting his flashcards on the table. You elected him Georgia, congratulations. Let us hope there will at least be a provision in the education budget for language proficiency in Mandarin with a possible minor in Cantonese, so our children will have a better chance of understanding their new bosses.
Chris
December 7th, 2010
4:41 pm
I’m all for keeping the HOPE, and if need be, getting rid of the book allowance all together. But we have to do something to save funding for our k12 program. Deal has to find some way to reverse this trend and pump money into it instead of taking money out. Our education system is a joke right now…
CSB
December 7th, 2010
4:42 pm
Thanks for more furloughs. Can you explain to my creditors again? Can you buy groceries, pay utilities, and pay child care?
Bama Bill
December 7th, 2010
4:42 pm
Shaft the public educators – same as old Sunny ! And yet, teachers voted for Deal – what a deal ?
Educators needs some educating about political choices !
Too Funny
December 7th, 2010
4:42 pm
I knew Mr Deal was a genius. His plan to furlough teachers while reducing income from corporate income tax is laughable. Can’t help myself. Ha ha ha ha.
Michael in Decatur
December 7th, 2010
4:44 pm
Teaching, like law enforcement, is a calling. If you’re getting into it for the money and benefits, you’ll always be disappointed. In tough times, unfortunately, teachers ( and administrators) compensation must be looked at. If you don’t LOVE teaching, find something else to do. Hell, I wish I could teach. I would have opened up a Math tutoring practice to help our kids learn the new Kathy Cox math.
Peter
December 7th, 2010
4:44 pm
Typical Republican’s cut education give corporations more money. Will they hire, or will the guys at the top get richer ?
Booker T. and The OMGs
December 7th, 2010
4:44 pm
If the HOPE is intended for Georgia’s best and brightest, why would HOPE students need to take remedial classes? Cutting HOPE for use in remedial classes sounds like a good first step. Eliminating HOPE for students that require remedial classes sounds like a smart second step.
Daniel83
December 7th, 2010
4:45 pm
Keep HOPE merit based by making it a reimbursement program instead of a hand out on the front end. Instead of paying tuition for all who qualify on the front end, wait until the end of the semester or year, and reimburse those students who maintain the required average. That will eliminate the thousands of people who go to college for a year because its “FREE” til you lose it. Those are the people who are not college material anyway and just go because its paid for.
Gubberment
December 7th, 2010
4:45 pm
My wife also makes less now than she did two years ago.
As of the first of the year, my family will also be moving onto my Comapny’s benefits because the State Merit benefits have gotten so poor now that they could not compare with my employer’s.
So teacher pay stinks and the government benefits now stink. My wife teaches because she still believes it is a noble profession.
Personally, I’d like for he to move into the Corporate world and leave the gubberment to its own devices.
AABC
December 7th, 2010
4:45 pm
All of you who voted for this joker thinking how bad Barnes is, LOOK AT THIS NOW. ONCE again education cuts, but noooooooo let’s not even TOUCH tax cuts for businesses.
I am disgusted at the state of georgia (no upper case intentional)
MainstreamFringe
December 7th, 2010
4:46 pm
Want to solve the book allowance issue? Get the university system out of bed with the textbook publishers. This is 2010; time to shift the college experience toward paperless coursework and online supplemental materials. This would eliminate the need for a book allowance altogether. Not one penny should be cut from K-12 education until the entire budget is scoured for extraneous (and usually ridiculous) pet projects receiving state funding. The majority of Georgians are in metro Atlanta and the majority of the money should stay here.
PTC DAWG
December 7th, 2010
4:47 pm
Corporations do not pay taxes. They merely collect from the end user and pass them on to the govt.
AN
December 7th, 2010
4:49 pm
I’m not trying to be cliche, but K-12 education is like planting a seed. You have to water it, tend to do and help it grow in order for it to thrive. Why save HOPE if the students aren’t going to be able to handle college because their K-12 education was lackluster?
timthebrave
December 7th, 2010
4:49 pm
Deal votes to cut taxes for millionaires while cutting pay and adding furlough days for teachers. Then he has the guts to say they have to make the tough cuts somewhere. If I was a millionaire this is exactly how I would want the counry run….
Southwest Georgia
December 7th, 2010
4:50 pm
I didn’t vote for Mr. Deal and those of you who did, got what you wanted and so did the rest of us. You knew whom you were voting for and what the outcome would be. Too bad all of our children will continue to pay the price by receivng a less than stellar education because the money isn’t there. Teachers should not have to take what little they earn (they have families too) to provide for everyone else’s children. Lots of money is going into the lottery, why isn’t more of it coming out for education. It’s going to be a rough 4 years.
Educated in North Georgia
December 7th, 2010
4:50 pm
Bottom line is that you can’t put 10 Ibs. of something in a 5 Ib. bag! If you want quality education in Georgia, you better find a way to pay for it! When teachers and staff suffer, so do students and there is no way around it. Good luck! I’ve got 15 years in, all here in Georgia, and as a school administrator, it is awfully frustrating to continue our education through National Board Certification, etc., and continually take cuts. Again, our kids will continue to suffer, including my own. Always keep your options open!
Val
December 7th, 2010
4:50 pm
Amen@AABC! Well, its sad. However, its the children that suffer for our bad choices.
Richard
December 7th, 2010
4:52 pm
The hope budget should change every year . It should not be an open ended entitlement. The first cut should be in paying for remedial courses. If a student needs remedial help and qualified for HOPE. that student qualified because of grade inflation.If HOPE funds continue to shrink, then pay QUALIFIED students a percentage of tuition.Possibly investigate school districts that qualify many students who need remedial help.The HOPE fund should not be supplemented by other tax sources.
Steve
December 7th, 2010
4:52 pm
I am troubled by the urge to cut corporate taxes by a third at a time when the state education system cannot afford it. For some reason, I was under the impression that Nathan Deal wanted to be a two-term governor.
Just so you know, university system tuition has increased faster than inflation because funding has been cut by the state so drastically over the past several years. Unfortunately, we don’t have people that will teach the classes for free, and the utility companies that supply the campuses expect to be paid. The state legislature violated its promise to provide three quarters of the instruction budget.
Some state colleges are on the verge of needing no state funds, and might just tell Nathan Deal to kiss off.
Tony
December 7th, 2010
4:52 pm
Georgia has done it again and many of us saw the writing on the wall. We voted for him anyway because we remembered what Roy did to us. Amazing how we forgot what Sonny and the republicans have done to us each and every year for the last eight years. Look out for more mandates from the Gold Dome!
rod
December 7th, 2010
4:53 pm
Great morale booster!
RPB
December 7th, 2010
4:55 pm
Deal is not even governor yet, and all you Democrats and those who “say you are for education” are already attacking him. If HOPE is not fixed, it will go broke sooner or later, and then what? I am glad the people who have posted on here so far today,are not like the majority in GA, who elected Deal. This should not be a slam Nathan Deal site. It is about fixing education in GA.
catlady
December 7th, 2010
4:55 pm
It’s going to get much worse when the man actually takes office.
Who will do well? The corporations, the politicians and officeholders, and their cronies.
Winfield J. Abbe
December 7th, 2010
4:56 pm
See the accompanying article today in AJC regarding Superintendent’s salaries. These good for nothings with low level easy Ed.D. degrees are making up to $400K a year while everyone else gets the shaft. The scum rises to the top in Georgia. These are the people with the lowest intelligence. The likely couldn’t pass an 8th grade math class.
timthebrave
December 7th, 2010
4:56 pm
We are ranked about #45 in education. If we work at it we can be last
catlady
December 7th, 2010
4:57 pm
BTW: “cutting corporate tax”= more taxes for the middle class! Can we afford it?
Really Deally
December 7th, 2010
4:57 pm
Let’s give him a chance. Remember he opposed Obama. That is why we elected him. Right?
North Fulton Teacher
December 7th, 2010
4:59 pm
I loved the comment in the article regarding the high pay of superintendents. Something along the lines of “If you want the best, you have to pay for it”
Apparently, having the “best” in the classroom is not a priority because Georgia certainly does not want to pay for it.
fariness for all
December 7th, 2010
4:59 pm
The AJC article today and other recent AJC articles show the salaries and other compensation of K-12 school superintendants and their staffs are not feasible—the taxpayers simply can’t afford all of that. Education should put the money where the results are made and that is in the classrooms. Then iIf teachers can’t improve their students (especially without cheating on test scores) the teacher needs to be moved until they can receive additional training to improve their results. Hope scholarship money should not have ever had to pay for remedial courses in college—no way a student should make the grades in high school needed to get the hope money and not be able to pass regular college courses. College tuition should be brought down to a more reasonable level as well. After the hope scholarships were put in place college administrators and professors salaries skyrocketed. Ask yourself how did we come to pay high school superintendants and college administrators salaries in and above the range of the President of the USA?? Give me a break— these people should earn their salary like the rest of government workers without any bonuses and perks. If they want those type deals let them go to wallstreet. Education unions have obtained too much political clout and in doing so got a dollar for every penny they contributed to their political friends.
Ron
December 7th, 2010
5:01 pm
How about we close all those state owned golf course which continue to lose money year after year?
Educated in North Georgia
December 7th, 2010
5:01 pm
When my wife and I alone, take a 15K cut in one year, something is wrong. We are in the same positions, being asked to do more and maintain ‘Accountability’, yet they continually cut pay, raise insurance costs, etc. Not being negative, just stating the facts and I see teachers in the classroom daily that are just burnt out, frustrated, not supported and it shows by our state and local communities.
Chris
December 7th, 2010
5:02 pm
How bout kids getting a job and paying there way through college. I did. Keep spoiling the kids and they will never be anything. Its out there if you want it bad enough. Quit your whining about what you haven’t got. I have 2 teenagers and dare ask them to do any work around the house. Like pulling teeth!
Really Deally
December 7th, 2010
5:02 pm
Richard December 7th, 2010 4:52 pm
Most sense I’ve read here. I agree.
Educated in North Georgia
December 7th, 2010
5:02 pm
Good point, North Fulton Teacher! The classroom is where the rubber meets the road, but the bottom line is, in Georgia, they have made it apparent that teachers do not matter. To me, they are the most important person in the classroom, because if they are supported, students will be fine –
horace mann
December 7th, 2010
5:03 pm
Hey Vince- Where’s your comments?
bug
December 7th, 2010
5:09 pm
They know the problem. Parents are forcing the adminstrators to change the grades so their child will have a B average. The adminstrators then make the teacher change the grade. Then the student fails in college.
All they have to do is withhold the hope funds from every school the next year equal to the amount of hope funds paid out the previous year for the ones which failed.
Ashley
December 7th, 2010
5:10 pm
This year, for the first time ever, students were given an entire WEEK off for Thanksgiving because of budget cuts. Our states’ students are already ranking near the bottom in most national education rankings; our country’s students rank poorly compared to their international peers. But by all means, let’s offer corporate tax cuts while cutting education spending.
I ranted and raved against Deal throughout the entire campaign. The once bright side to this whole scenario is that I will get to say: Told ya so.
nothing seems to matter
December 7th, 2010
5:11 pm
The primary focus of Hope money should be pre-K enhancements. This is where we start falling behind most of the country. I attended free kindergarden in Calif in 1952.
The hope scholarships have caused grade inflation at the high schools so more students can go to college, then, when they get there, they need remedial courses. The statistic that gets my attention is the small % of Hope students who actually graduate on time. It’s party time until they flunk out.
The whole Hope thing has become a huge money maker for the university system. Spend the $$ where it is truly needed… in pre-K.
TRUTH
December 7th, 2010
5:11 pm
FOR ALL OF YOU WHO VOTED THIS SENSELESS IDIOT INTO OFFICE….ENJOY IT!! YOU’RE RUGRAT THAT GOES TO PUBLIC SCHOOL WILL BE UNEDUCATED LIKE THE OTHERS AROUND YOU. YOU ARE NOT RICH BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION, BUT YOU VOTED AGAINST YOU’RE ON INTEREST. YOU WERE WARNED!!!
A NATION AS GREAT AS THIS COUNTRY WITH UNEDUCATED CITIZENS, BECOMES LESS THAN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY!!
Really Deally
December 7th, 2010
5:13 pm
One of the most common mistakes made with the hiring of Superintendents is the idea candidates need to be education majors. The position have long out grown the need to be mananged by only ED PHD’s. Educators don’t always make smart business leaders. All good business leaders are educated and should be considered for the job. It’s time for a change.