This weekend we saw another great step in Georgia’s educational system.  By great, I of course mean horrible.  This is the type of decision-making that got us, and is helping us stay, at the bottom of the nation’s educational ranks.

The Georgia House of Representatives has voted to cut funding for a grant program that makes sure poorer school districts can keep up with the more well off districts.

These cuts will take the funding from $832 million dollars down to $492 million dollars in the 2013 fiscal year.

It is reported that Gwinnett County Schools will get $3.5 million more this year than they did last year, while Cherokee County Schools will get no money through this grant program.

School districts will be required to impose a minimum $12 million property tax by 2015 to be eligible to receive grant money.

The state needs to take care of its educational system and do whatever it can to increase funding, lest we fall into educational obscurity, which we’re not too far away from.  This program has been awarded less and less money since 2009 and legislators don’t even fully fund every school.

If we’re to be a competitive and attractive market and draw in new businesses, we must improve our education system.  If we can’t provide skilled workers and well-educated workers, businesses will not want to set up shop here.  Georgia has one of the lowest financial security ratings in the nation and a lot of that comes down to our poor educational system.