2016 Georgia Code
Title 20 - Education
Chapter 14 - Education Accountability
Article 3 - Opportunity School District
§ 20-14-111. (For effective date, see note.) Funding for opportunity schools

(a) Funding for an opportunity school shall be an amount equal to the sum of:

(1) QBE formula earnings, QBE grants, and federal grants earned by the school based on the school's enrollment, school profile, and student characteristics. QBE formula earnings shall include the salary portion of direct instructional costs, the adjustment for training and experience, the nonsalary portion of direct instructional costs, earnings for psychologists and school social workers, school administration, facility maintenance and operation, media centers, additional days of instruction in accordance with Code Section 20-2-184.1, and staff development and shall include the portion of funds that are calculated as the local five mill share pursuant to Code Section 20-2-164;

(2) A proportional share of state categorical grants, non-QBE state grants, state equalization grants, and all other state and federal grants; and

(3) An amount determined by OSD for each student enrolled in such school equal to a proportional share of local revenue from the local school system in which the school is located.

(b) The OSD may withhold up to 3 percent of the amount determined pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section for each opportunity school for use in administering the duties required pursuant to this article; provided, however, that any amount withheld pursuant to this subsection shall be spent solely on expenses incurred by the OSD in performing the duties required by this article. For opportunity schools that are OSD charter schools, the 3 percent withheld shall be shared equally between the OSD and the State Charter Schools Commission for the initial term of the charter.

(c) The total allotment of state and federal funds to the local school system in which an opportunity school is located shall be calculated as otherwise provided in Article 6 of Chapter 2 of this title with an ensuing reduction equivalent to the amount of funds appropriated to the opportunity schools pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of this Code section.

(d) Opportunity schools that become OSD charter schools and subsequently exit the OSD shall continue to be eligible for the same level of funding provided for in this Code section that they were eligible for while under the authority of the OSD.

(e) The General Assembly may appropriate additional funds to be allocated among the opportunity schools within the OSD at the discretion of the OSD Superintendent for necessary and innovative purposes. In addition, private funds may be solicited and accepted by the OSD to support opportunity schools.