ATLANTA (AP) – Democrat Jason Carter’s campaign for governor has focused on education from the start. Carter has proposed a separate budget for education and promises it will mean more money for schools.
Georgia would be the first state to use that model. Other states have tried similar systems with little effect on education quality or funding, and experts are skeptical that the change will affect funding levels in Georgia.
Carter says he believes lawmakers would be forced to discuss education funding honestly with a separate budget that must be settled before any other state spending. Republican Gov. Nathan Deal says Carter hasn’t identified where he’ll find more resources for schools and calls the proposed change a gimmick.
The change also would require a constitutional amendment, requiring two-thirds approval in the GOP-controlled Legislature.