ATLANTA — Monday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp suggested that public schools get an extra $50 million to spend on school safety. However, his plan does not include the extra counseling tools that school officials want after four people were shot and killed at Apalachee High School in Winder in September.
In addition to the $109 million that schools are already getting, the $50 million would be added to the current state budget. That money was put into the continued budget on July 1. This is the first time that Georgia’s public schools have gotten ongoing money instead of safety grants.
Kemp said, “All of these investments were planned to make our schools even safer.” He also said that he thought “that fateful day could have been even more tragic” at Apalachee without the money the state had already given.
Along with the $47,125, each Georgia’s more than 2,000 public schools already get for safety, the $50 million would give each one an extra $21,635 to spend on safety.
The governor also asked the state to spend an extra $872,000. on school counselors. That would add about 16 more school psychologists across the state, or one for every 2,420 kids.
Some Republicans, like Kemp, have been reluctant to try to limit kids’ access to guns. However, on Monday, state Rep. Michelle Au (D-Johns Creek) presented a bill that would make it a misdemeanor to not lock guns away from kids.
Richard Woods, the superintendent of schools in the state, and educational support groups have been pushing for money to pay for counselors and mental health professionals to help students before they become a danger to themselves or others.
Woods wants the state’s Apex mental health program, which pays for kids to get mental health care, to get more money. At the moment, only about a third of Georgia’s schools are part of that program, which is optional. An elected Republican, Woods also called for every school to have a crisis warning system and a police officer.
Kemp and lawmakers agreed last year to spend $109 million on school safety. They said they wanted the money to pay for at least one security worker at each school. Some superintendents in the area say that the real cost of a school security officer is a lot more.
A group of educational groups want more money to be spent on psychologists, school counselors, and school social workers. According to the American School Counselor Association, there should be one counselor for every 250 students. In Georgia, one counselor is paid for for every 450 students by the state. The school groups want to pay for one counselor for every 400 kids, which would add about $26 million to the cost of each year.
It would cost about $1.7 million to hire more social workers so that each school district has enough state funds for one. The groups also wanted to spend more on shrinks, but that was the item that cost the least.
The governor said he agrees with Apex, but it’s hard to find licensed counselors and other pros. He said of the possible ways to get money, “I’m open to all of the above.” But lawmakers would have to find other ways to spend money if Kemp doesn’t agree with the spending plans in his budget. This is because Georgia’s governor limits how much lawmakers can spend overall.
Woods told them he wasn’t going to give up on their plans.
Woods said, “The process has just begun, and we’ll keep working with them.” “However, we’re always happy to see extra money like that.”
Kemp also said that he wants to pay for the Southern Regional Education Board to train 20 counselors from public schools and colleges in how to help people in trouble.
Two Republicans, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and House Speaker Jon Burns, said they agree with Kemp’s plans.
Burns, of Newington, said, “These grants will give us the freedom and flexibility to meet the specific needs of every school in every part of our state.”
Jones kept calling for a law that would require teachers and other school workers to wear panic buttons. Burns kept calling for a program where education, child welfare, and youth court agencies could share information. He thinks that this would help officials better figure out what threats students are making. He also said again that the money from automatic school zone speed cameras should be used to improve school safety.
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