Public Policy Formulation and Implementation
Gladys Moore
Week 2 Assignment
Public Policy Formation and Implementation-PA582
March 10, 2011
In the last two weeks the Dooly County School System is faced with uncertainty in planning for the 2011-2012 school year, along with other systems in the state of Georgia. The issue involves one of the latest proposals by Governor Nathan Deal of cutting Georgia Pre-K and Hope Scholarship programs. Governor Deal has proposed these major changes because both programs are paid for with proceeds from the Georgia Lottery, which is not bringing in revenues as it once has nor is it keeping up with the pace with the two programs expenses.
The governor plans to scale back on the number of hours a Pre-K student attends school, from 6.5 hours a day to 4 hours a day. Not only does this major change affect the families of working parents, the lives of teachers and paraprofessional will also be affected. Teacher’s and Paraprofessional’s salaries will drop 30 percent, for those who decide to remain working at the Pre-K level, and working parents will have to pay for additional child-care.
In regards to the HOPE scholarship, the governor proposal is to cut scholarships for potentially 180,000 of Georgia’s 200,000 HOPE scholars to 90 percent of current tuition levels. However a move that has current and future students mulling their finances, and some feeling short changed. If the cuts are passed, a HOPE recipient would be responsible for to pay hundreds of dollars to cover tuition as well as mandatory fees which are presently being paid by the HOPE scholarship. For example, a HOPE scholar at the University of Georgia would have to pay $353.00 out-of-pocket to cover a semester’s tuition based on today’s rates. Additionally, that same student would have to pay more than $400.00 in mandatory fees per semester for services such as transportation, health care and student activities. It doesn’t stop here, tuition and fees next academic year could increase, which would increase
Week 2 Assignment
Public Policy Formation and Implementation-PA582
March 10, 2011
In the last two weeks the Dooly County School System is faced with uncertainty in planning for the 2011-2012 school year, along with other systems in the state of Georgia. The issue involves one of the latest proposals by Governor Nathan Deal of cutting Georgia Pre-K and Hope Scholarship programs. Governor Deal has proposed these major changes because both programs are paid for with proceeds from the Georgia Lottery, which is not bringing in revenues as it once has nor is it keeping up with the pace with the two programs expenses.
The governor plans to scale back on the number of hours a Pre-K student attends school, from 6.5 hours a day to 4 hours a day. Not only does this major change affect the families of working parents, the lives of teachers and paraprofessional will also be affected. Teacher’s and Paraprofessional’s salaries will drop 30 percent, for those who decide to remain working at the Pre-K level, and working parents will have to pay for additional child-care.
In regards to the HOPE scholarship, the governor proposal is to cut scholarships for potentially 180,000 of Georgia’s 200,000 HOPE scholars to 90 percent of current tuition levels. However a move that has current and future students mulling their finances, and some feeling short changed. If the cuts are passed, a HOPE recipient would be responsible for to pay hundreds of dollars to cover tuition as well as mandatory fees which are presently being paid by the HOPE scholarship. For example, a HOPE scholar at the University of Georgia would have to pay $353.00 out-of-pocket to cover a semester’s tuition based on today’s rates. Additionally, that same student would have to pay more than $400.00 in mandatory fees per semester for services such as transportation, health care and student activities. It doesn’t stop here, tuition and fees next academic year could increase, which would increase
References: Cordele Dispatch, “HOPE changes concern local educators” Retrieved March 6, 2011 Pre-k teachers ponder program’s fate, their futures Retrieved from http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/pre-ktechers-ponder-857989.html on March 7, 2011 District weighs cutting pre-K programs by Kathie Bassett Retrieved on March 7, 2011 from http://www.thetelegraph.com/articles/programs-51010-district-levek.html