(The Center Square) – Gov. Brian Kemp is proposing an additional $50 million for school safety grants.
The new funding would bring the total for the grants to $159 million, with each school receiving $68,760, Kemp said in a news conference on Monday.
The governor also pitched an additional $872,000 in the school funding formula to improve the ratio of students to school psychologists.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones said the package has his support.
“After meeting with law enforcement, school administrators and individuals impacted by the tragic event in Barrow County, during the 2025 session, I will prioritize the final passage of “Alyssa’s Law,” and increasing penalties for those who threaten and commit these heinous crimes,” Jones said. “Each feature of this package will build on school safety initiatives I supported last year.”
“Alyssa’s Law” is named after Alyssa Alhadeff, a 14-year-old student killed during a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The law would require the installation of silent panic alarms at schools.
Apalachee High School, the scene of a September 2024 school shooting, had the alarms that are worn around teacher’s necks. First responders said in a report that the panic alarms saved lives. Two teachers and two students died in the shooting at the Barrow County school. A student and his father are facing charges in connection with the shooting.
Also in the proposal is an additional $120.8 million for fiscal year 2025 and $402.2 million for fiscal year 2026, which Kemp said would fully fund education.
If approved by lawmakers, $10.3 million would be allocated for transportation.
“As many school districts have experienced growth over the last several years, this new funding will assure they can transport students to school without having to cut into the other parts of their budgets,” Kemp said.
The $212.4 million capital package includes $20 million for new school buses.
By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square
