New IDRA Report Finds Wealthiest Districts Raise Thousands More per Student and Calls for Increased State Investment
Key takeaways
- Georgia relies more on local funding than state investment: School funding growth has been driven primarily by local revenue.
- Wealthier districts raise significantly more per student: The wealthiest districts can raise nearly $5,000 more per student in local revenue.
- Funding gaps persist across school districts: Disparities tied to property wealth remain over time.
- State funding does not fully cover required costs: Districts have to fund essential services and staff locally.
- Policy decisions could widen funding gaps: Proposed changes may increase pressure on lower-wealth districts.
Resource from the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), a nonprofit advancing education equity.
(Atlanta • March 24, 2026) Georgia increasingly passes the burden of education costs to local communities rather than closing gaps at the state level. The wealthiest districts can raise almost $5,000 more per student in local revenue than lower wealth districts, according to a new report released by IDRA. Georgia’s Quality Basic Education Formula Turns 40 – Closing the Gap or Passing the Buck? warns that property tax cut proposals being considered by the Georgia Assembly could deepen the gap between rich and poor school districts.
“The continued reliance on local property taxes for school funding creates a separate and unequal system for public education in Georgia,” said IDRA Georgia advocacy director and report author Mikayla Arciaga, M.A.Ed. “The legislature should increase, not cut, funds for schools most neglected by decades of underfunding. All Georgia students should have access to high-quality education and the resources they need to succeed.”
Georgia’s 1985 school funding overhaul through the Quality Basic Education Act (QBE) was a step in the right direction to strengthen education and balance state and local responsibility for funding. But without continued state investment, it doesn’t meet its actual goal of ensuring equity and adequacy for all Georgia public schools.
IDRA’s study found:
- Recent growth in school funding has been driven primarily by local revenue.
- Substantial disparities in local revenue capacity continue.
- The funding gap is persistent, not temporary.
On average, the wealthiest 20% of school districts can raise nearly $5,000 more per student than the other 80% and receive about $2,500 more per student overall.
The structure of QBE places significant financial responsibility on local districts. The state also mandates services and programming to meet student needs but does not fully fund their delivery.
IDRA calls on policymakers to restore decades of divestment and underfunding in Georgia public schools, increase state investments in schools most affected by decades of underfunding and divestment, and expand the QBE formula to include funds for educating students living in poverty.
Media Contact: Thomas Marshall III, M.Ed., IDRA: thomas.marshall@idra.org
