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Education department outlines QBE adjustments, school security grants and scholarship funding needs
Summary
The Department of Education briefed the committee on multiple amended FY25 changes including QBE digest cleanups, a $21,635 per-school security grant program (about $50 million total), adjustments to special needs scholarship funding, and other formula and grant changes.
A Department of Education presenter reported several amended FY25 budget changes affecting local school systems, charter schools and statewide student supports.
Key items presented included a $265,000 transfer relating to charter schools (pursuant to House Bill 318), a roughly $24 million reduction tied to a digest cleanup for Gainesville City and Hall County, and formula adjustments that reflected a net increase of about 1,308 new full-time equivalent students across the state (including growth in high-cost categories such as gifted, ESOL and special education).
The presenter said the school security grant will provide $21,635 per school (the presenter first described the amount as "per school system," and later answered a committee clarification that the amount is indeed per individual school): "...that's actually per school per school system. So it's every individual school is gonna receive 21,635 each. Correct?" Committee leadership confirmed the presenter's response to that clarification.
Other items included a request to add roughly $12.4 million for the special needs scholarship, with the presenter noting updated projections indicate the program may require about $13.2 million and that the department will ask for an additional $700,000 to $800,000 to fully fund the program after the second quarter payment.
The department also noted increased supplements for the State Charter School Commission (about $13 million) and a $95,000 FY25 adjustment to maintain two full-time and two part-time positions for the Great Promise partnership program (with a larger FY26 funding need). The department said it will request roughly $3 million more for AP testing and about $1.31 million for PSATs in the upcoming review.
Ending: The presenter said more granular numbers for AP/PSAT utilization and special needs scholarship enrollment will be provided to committee leaders on request; no formal vote or motion was recorded during the briefing.
