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Georgia outspends Deep South neighbors in classrooms, Census data shows

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Georgia outspends Deep South neighbors in classrooms, Census data shows


The U.S. Census Bureau released new preliminary data Thursday showing how much states spent on public education in the 2024 fiscal year. The early results from the Annual Survey of School System Finances reveal wide differences in per pupil spending across the country and offer the first national comparison of school revenue and expenses for the year.

Georgia spending rises to nearly $27B

What we know:

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Georgia falls in the middle range of states for per student spending, ranking 18th nationally based on the preliminary numbers now available. The state spent $15,833 per student, placing it above most of the Deep South but below the national leaders.

Georgia reported $31.7 billion in total revenue and $31.0 billion in total expenditures for fiscal year 2024. Current operating spending reached $27.0 billion, while $3.7 billion went to capital projects. Another $252 million represented costs outside the major reporting categories.

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The state received $3.8 billion from federal programs, $12.4 billion from state sources and $15.4 billion from local governments. The preliminary data lists Georgia’s fall enrollment at about 1.7 million students.

Inside the classroom, instruction was Georgia’s largest cost at $16.08 billion. Student support services totaled $1.74 billion, and instructional staff support added $1.55 billion. School administration cost $1.50 billion, general administration accounted for $397 million, and operation and maintenance of facilities totaled $2.15 billion. Student transportation added $1.25 billion, and food services cost $1.29 billion.

Georgia’s 2025 education spending

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Local perspective:

  • Instruction: $16,080,616,000
  • Student support services: $1,744,349,000
  • Instructional staff support: $1,551,739,000
  • General administration: $397,567,000
  • School administration: $1,504,906,000
  • Operation and maintenance: $2,149,194,000
  • Student transportation: $1,250,714,000
  • Other support services: $933,598,000
  • Food services: $1,290,049,000
  • Per pupil spending: $15,833
  • Fall enrollment: 1,705,143
  • Total revenue: $31,703,886,000
  • Total expenditures: $31,054,456,000
  • Current spending: $27,001,844,000
  • Capital outlay: $3,701,014,000

Georgia compared with the Southeast and Deep South

Dig deeper:

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Georgia outpaces most of its neighbors in per pupil spending. The state’s $15,833 figure is higher than:

  • Florida at $12,689
  • Alabama at $13,598
  • Arkansas at $13,873

The Census also shows Georgia ahead of several nearby states in the broader region, including Tennessee, Mississippi and South Carolina, although full spending values for those states were not shown in the preliminary dataset. Among large Southeastern systems, only North Carolina and Virginia tend to spend more per student in recent surveys, though their full 2024 numbers were not part of the file provided.

Georgia remains well below the national leaders. California spent $20,233 per student, and Delaware and Hawaii both topped $22,000. Northeastern states, many of which appear later in the full table, generally occupy the top tier.

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Where Georgia stands nationally

By the numbers:

Georgia ranks 18th in per pupil current spending among states included in the preliminary dataset. The state sits just below Colorado and just above Kentucky and Iowa.

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Georgia also ranks third in the Southeast among the states visible in the data and first among the Deep South states included.

Nationally, instruction spending places Georgia in the upper third. The state spent $16.08 billion on instruction, trailing only the largest states such as California, Florida, Texas and Pennsylvania.

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The following states do not appear in the preliminary dataset: Alaska, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Per pupil current spending

(highest to lowest among reporting states)

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  1. Vermont, $28,818
  2. Hawaii, $23,878
  3. New Hampshire, $22,978
  4. Delaware, $22,201
  5. Rhode Island, $22,110
  6. Pennsylvania, $21,091
  7. Wyoming, $20,521
  8. California, $20,233
  9. Maryland, $20,208
  10. Maine, $19,962
  11. Washington, $18,564
  12. Michigan, $18,314
  13. New Mexico, $17,844
  14. Ohio, $17,257
  15. Virginia, $17,104
  16. North Dakota, $17,102
  17. Wisconsin, $16,968
  18. Nebraska, $16,147
  19. Minnesota, $17,098
  20. Colorado, $15,897
  21. Georgia, $15,833
  22. South Carolina, $15,060
  23. Kentucky, $14,596
  24. Iowa, $14,369
  25. Missouri, $14,241
  26. Arkansas, $13,873
  27. Montana, $13,656
  28. Indiana, $13,622
  29. Alabama, $13,598
  30. North Carolina, $12,995
  31. South Dakota, $12,828
  32. Florida, $12,689
  33. Texas, $12,444
  34. Oklahoma, $12,162
  35. Arizona, $12,003
  36. Utah, $11,342
  37. Idaho, $11,056

Total instruction spending

(highest to lowest among reporting states in this table, rounded to one decimal place)

  1. California, $60.7 billion
  2. Texas, $36.4 billion
  3. Pennsylvania, $22.5 billion
  4. Florida, $21.5 billion
  5. Georgia, $16.0 billion
  6. Ohio, $15.4 billion
  7. Virginia, $12.6 billion
  8. Michigan, $12.2 billion
  9. Washington, $11.7 billion
  10. North Carolina, $11.2 billion
  11. Maryland, $11.1 billion
  12. Minnesota, $8.6 billion
  13. Indiana, $7.4 billion
  14. Wisconsin, $7.4 billion
  15. Colorado, $7.2 billion
  16. Missouri, $6.8 billion
  17. South Carolina, $6.4 billion
  18. Alabama, $5.5 billion
  19. Arizona, $5.6 billion
  20. Kentucky, $5.5 billion
  21. Iowa, $4.2 billion
  22. Oklahoma, $4.2 billion
  23. Arkansas, $3.5 billion
  24. Nebraska, $3.3 billion
  25. New Mexico, $2.9 billion
  26. Hawaii, $2.3 billion
  27. New Hampshire, $2.2 billion
  28. Maine, $2.0 billion
  29. Idaho, $1.9 billion
  30. Rhode Island, $1.7 billion
  31. Delaware, $1.5 billion
  32. Vermont, $1.4 billion
  33. Montana, $1.2 billion
  34. North Dakota, $1.2 billion
  35. Wyoming, $1.1 billion
  36. South Dakota, $1.1 billion

Note: Fiscal years vary from one school system to another, and the survey does not adjust the data to align them to a single calendar.

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What’s next:

The Census Bureau said the figures provide an initial overview and may change when the final dataset is released in 2026.

The Source: The Census Bureau released the preliminary data used in this article. 

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Georgia OC Mike Bobo gets giant pay raise, salary matches DC Glenn Schumann

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Georgia OC Mike Bobo gets giant pay raise, salary matches DC Glenn Schumann


Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann will be paid equally in 2026 after receiving raises, according to an Athens Banner-Herald report.

Coach Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs are coming off a second consecutive SEC championship season and College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl quarterfinal appearance.

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Georgia Lt. Gov. announces bill inspired by Charlie Kirk to protect student speech

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Georgia Lt. Gov. announces bill inspired by Charlie Kirk to protect student speech


Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones on Monday unveiled legislation inspired by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk that he says would expand students’ free speech rights in public schools, making Georgia the first state in the nation to pursue such a measure.

Jones announced the “True Patriotism and Universal Student Access Act,” known as the TPUSA Act, on Monday as a priority for the 2026 legislative session. The proposal, sponsored by State Sen. Ben Watson (R–Savannah), would strengthen First Amendment protections for public school students by safeguarding their right to speak, organize, and express political and religious views on campus.

The bill is explicitly shaped around the work and legacy of Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA and its political arm, Turning Point Action. Jones and others have framed the legislation as a way to honor Kirk’s efforts to mobilize young conservatives and defend free speech in schools and on college campuses.

“In the spirit and memory of Charlie’s work, the TPUSA Act in Georgia would ensure that students’ First Amendment rights to organize, gather and speak are protected, regardless of their religious, political, or social viewpoints,” Jones said in a press release. “Georgia is leading the way as the first state in the nation to do it.”

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Founder and President of Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk speaks during the Turning Point Believers Summit at the Palm Beach County Civic Center on July 26, 2024. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Miami Herald


Jones, who is running for governor and is endorsed by both former President Donald Trump and Turning Point Action, also emphasized his broader commitment to free speech rights as part of his campaign rhetoric. 

“Georgia is building on the work of Charlie Kirk to ensure students can speak, organize and express their beliefs freely,” Jones posted on social media. 

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The TPUSA Act would require public schools in Georgia to permit political expression before, during and after the school day to the same extent that non-political expression is allowed. It also would let students form political clubs and groups during non-instructional time, bar discrimination against groups based on viewpoint, and guarantee that students could wear politically themed clothing and accessories under the same standards that apply to other permitted attire.

Supporters say the legislation would ensure that school administrators cannot block students from engaging in peaceful political activities and that all viewpoints, partisan and nonpartisan, would have equal access to meeting spaces and facilities.

Sen. Watson said the move reflects the belief that schools should not restrict students’ free speech or prohibit them from organizing around their beliefs. 

“School officials should not have the power to enforce their own ideologies on students,” he said.

Josh Thifault, senior director at Turning Point Action, praised Georgia’s effort, asserting that Kirk “lived and died for the First Amendment.” He added that the legislation will benefit students “for decades to come” by removing barriers to student expression.

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Georgia lawmakers stall car boot ban, leaving frustrated drivers with no relief from predatory parking enforcement

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Georgia lawmakers stall car boot ban, leaving frustrated drivers with no relief from predatory parking enforcement


Daryl Terry II had exited a popular wing restaurant, only to discover a heavy metal boot clamped to his car’s wheel. “I think booting should be banned because it’s predatory. You’re preying on people who are just trying to visit business establishments,” Daryl said, shaking his head while holding a $100 boot removal receipt.

Daryl explained that the parking lot was confusing, with faded signs barely visible even in broad daylight. “At night, you can’t see the sign at all,” he said. “By the time I got to my car, there were already two boots on it. The guy told me I left the property and didn’t pay, so he was entitled to boot my car.”

He’s not alone. Maddie Yoder, who works at a nearby bakery, has experienced the same fate. “I’ve worked here for five years. One morning, I quickly grabbed a spot and came back to a boot. The attendant literally waits for people to make a mistake,” she said, pointing out the tricky signage that designates spots for specific businesses.

Both drivers are among many Georgians who hoped a recent State Senate bill would end what they call predatory booting. Democratic State Senator Josh McLaurin, the bill’s sponsor, says the practice is a form of extortion. “Georgia needs to ban the boot. You’re trapped when it happens.”

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Despite gaining bipartisan support, the bill was abruptly killed in a procedural move. It was sent to a committee that, due to the chairman’s resignation, couldn’t hold hearings or move bills forward. 

“That committee is essentially dead,” McLaurin explained. Efforts to get comment from the Lt. Governor’s office about the bill’s demise went unanswered.

McLaurin isn’t giving up. He plans to reintroduce the legislation later this session, hopeful that relief is still possible for Georgia drivers. He also points out an inconsistency: “Towing companies in Georgia are regulated and can’t just wait in a lot for you to mess up. Booting, on the other hand, is barely regulated at all.”

For now, drivers like Daryl and Maddie keep a closer eye on the signs—and their wallets—hoping that lawmakers will finally put the brakes on predatory booting.

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