Article VIII of the Georgia State Constitution states that “the provision of adequate public education of the citizens shall be a primary obligation of the State of Georgia….” This, however, while our Fayette property taxes pay for 51.8% of our school’s cost, while the average Georgia system pays 41.8%.

However, our excellent and quality Fayette County Public schools continue to be at or near the top of public-school systems in Georgia while spending near the average cost per student FTE (full-time equivalent) in Georgia of $13,189 per FTE.

Under Georgia’s Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding scheme, Fayette’s students’ education is funded at 44.8 percent, where the average Georgia student has 52.5% of their education funded under the QBE. It is interesting to note that Georgia has “fully funded” its own QBE formula only a handful of times since 2008.

While part of this disparity is due to a concept of “progressive taxation” where the “rich” pay more and those with less pay less with the “5 mills fair share.” However, at a cost near the state average, with performance far above the state average, Fayette County Public Schools are doing something right.

For years, we taxpayers have paid a higher school tax millage rate than most systems to fund the “Fayette advantage” of senior teachers, smaller neighborhood schools, and smaller than state average class sizes. The results show in our property value and are a pillar of our community.

In this period of rampant inflation, our people cost of salary, benefits, and retirement are outpacing the growth of our tax digest, limited to 3% under a homestead exemption voted in by the taxpayers. Our administration has been clear that class size, class electives, and other support are at risk as costs continue to rise.

One compounding factor is that Fayette’s community continues to age as residents stay in our great community. As taxpayers cross the age of sixty-two, they are given either a partial or total exemption from school taxes. In another discussion on these pages, someone suggested that approximately 20% of Fayette’s population is now sixty-two or older.

When coupled with the homestead exemption above, sources at the school board report that over 30% of the total Fayette County tax digest is exempt from school tax, adding pressure to our school’s revenue.

Public school funding will be a topic in the coming Georgia Legislative session. I look to our state representatives on both sides of the aisle to find a solution that addresses the needs of all Georgia’s students.

The fact that Fayette’s taxpayers pay a premium for our schools to have smaller than state average class size should not be appropriated to pay for Georgia’ obligation to provide a quality basic education.

[Neil Sullivan is a finance/accounting executive and CPA. He has lived in Peachtree City over 20 years with his wife Jennifer, a Fayette County History teacher and son Jackson, a sophomore at Erskine College. He has been active in public school related issues in Fayette County, leading three E-SPLOST initiatives as chairman of Fayette Citizens for Children. He has appeared previously on these pages in letters to the editor.]