DOE outlines FY26 amended true‑ups: AP exam costs, special‑needs scholarship shortfall, bat‑remediation funding

Russ Grama, chief financial officer at the Georgia Department of Education, briefed the Senate appropriations subcommittee on the department’s FY26 amended‑budget adjustments, highlighting several targeted true‑ups and program shortfalls.

Grama said the amended package includes roughly $368 million tied to the governor’s proposed $2,000 salary supplement that will be distributed according to the same methodology used in 2024 for classroom and school staff. He walked senators through multiple formula true‑ups in QBE lines, a local five‑mill share adjustment and other technical corrections.

On specific program needs, DOE projects an increase in AP exam costs to about $5.62 million for the year; PSAT testing came in under budget by about $1.42 million. The AP estimate, Grama said, is based on College Board registration data and the number of students who have signed up to take exams this spring, and he reiterated that qualifying free‑and‑reduced‑lunch students receive one free AP exam and all students receive one free STEM exam.

Grama identified an approximate $1.6 million shortfall tied to SB10 special‑needs scholarships after processing first through third quarter invoices and said DOE will request a base adjustment in FY27 to avoid recurring annual shortfalls.

The presentation included a facilities increase of $1,150,000 to fund remediation at St. Mary’s Elementary School in Camden County, which Grama said is closed to reentry because of a bat infestation; students and staff have been relocated. Senators asked whether such costs are normally a district responsibility; DOE said the specific funding request was included in the amended package and that the agency would follow up with additional details on district vs. state responsibilities.

Committee members questioned DOE about a reported decline of roughly 34,000 FTEs in K–12 enrollment — the largest drop since the COVID years — and the longer‑term implications for the enrollment‑based QBE funding model. Grama said enrollment declines were widespread and noted growth in higher‑cost categories (special needs, gifted) that offset some declines; he also agreed to provide supplemental analyses and historical breakdowns to the committee.

DOE responded to requests for additional details on pilot programs and noted several pilots (student‑advocacy specialists and a drone‑based campus mapping/emergency response pilot) for which site lists and implementation specifics were still to be determined.

The committee did not take a vote on these items during the hearing; senators requested follow‑up papers and additional line‑item detail from DOE staff.