Gov. Deal Highlights Education At Gwinnett Budget Stop

BUFORD, GA -- Gov. Nathan Deal highlighted the state's emphasis on education spending during a stop Monday morning in Gwinnett County.

Deal held a signing ceremony of the state budget at Lanier High School in Buford. It was one of four signing ceremonies he was scheduled to hold across the state Monday, highlighting various priorities in the record $23.7 billion budget.

The Gwinnett Daily Post covered the Monday-morning signing.

“An education that is cherished and applied can be a catalyst of opportunity,” Deal said, according to the paper. “However, if we know the right answers, but never say them, then education becomes a dangerous silence. If we learn old solutions, but never apply our learning to come up with new ones, then education becomes scholarly stagnation.

“If we learn valuable skills, but never put them to use, then education becomes unfinished masterpieces.”

Included in this year's budget was $300 million for raises for K-12 teachers and another $26.2 million for raises for pre-K teachers.

The budget also earmarked $29.4 million for the Move On When Ready program, which supports students who are dual-enrolled in high school and college courses.

Gwinnett schools Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks thanked Deal for focusing on education, according to the Daily Post.

“He’s really focused on economic development reform, and as a result of that, Georgia is the No. 1 state in the nation to do business,” Wilbanks said. “Thank you governor for the various things that have been made a part of that. Part of that has been a focus on education. We do appreciate that."

Deal said the budget includes about $51 million for Gwinnett County schools.

To read the original report in the Gwinnett Daily Post, click here.