Gov. Brian Kemp signed a $37.7 billion fiscal 2026 state budget Friday, a spending plan that prioritizes education and prisons. The budget, which the General Assembly passed overwhelmingly last month, includes $300 million to fully fund the state’s Quality Basic Education K–12 student‑funding formula.
Another $108.9 million in state grants will help local school systems pay for safety improvements on their campuses—providing each school with more than $47,000, while $47.9 million is earmarked for student mental‑health programs. The school‑safety and mental‑health money comes in the wake of the school shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County last September that killed two students and two teachers.
The budget also includes more than $141 million to launch the state’s new private‑school vouchers program, which will kick off in time for the coming school year.
