Report on the Expenditure of Lottery Funds Fiscal Year 1997

Technology Programs

The Georgia Lottery for Education provides funds to purchase technological equipment for Georgia public schools, public colleges and universities, and other educational institutions. In the first two years of the lottery, the largest percentage of net lottery proceeds went to technology -- over prekindergarten, scholarships, and construction. In fiscal year 1996, funding for technology dropped, but the next year, funding for technology rose slightly, though not to the levels seen in the first two years.

Technology funds have gone to four agencies: the Professional Standards Commission, the Department of Technical and Adult Education (DTAE), the Board of Regents, and the Department of Education (DOE). Figure 8 shows how much money was allocated to each agency for the purchase of technological equipment.

In the first two years, the Department of Education received more than did any of the other three agencies for technology. In fiscal year 1996, technology funding for the Department of Education dropped to its lowest level. This same year, every agency saw a drop in their level of funding for technology over the previous year. In fiscal year 1997, two agencies, the Department of Education and the Department of Technical and Adult Education, experienced a rise in their level of funding over the previous year. The Board of Regents received less funding in fiscal year 1997 than in fiscal year 1996. The Professional Standards Commission, which received lottery funds to strengthen technology training in colleges of education, was funded in fiscal year 1995 only.

The following details how lottery funds for technology were allocated to the Department of Education, the Board of Regents, and the Department of Technical and Adult Education in fiscal year 1997.

Department of Education Technology Programs

The Department of Education received technology funds in fiscal year 1997 for various programs. Table 26 shows how much money was appropriated to each program.

Table 26. Department of Education Technology Programs, FY97

Applied Technology Labs support student learning in the three technology education clusters: energy and power, production, and communication. Using a modular instructional delivery system, students work individually and in teams to learn about robotics, electronics, fluidics, automation, lasers, computer-aided drafting, computer numeric control, fiber optics, aerodynamics, and alternative energy. Instruction is designed to reinforce basic math and science competencies, develop career awareness, enhance communication skills, and develop skills with a variety of tools, materials, and processes.

Funds were distributed to schools through a non-competitive application process. The Department of Education compiled all requests that were submitted by local schools and submitted the package to the General Assembly as part of the DOE budget request. A standard amount of $100,000 per high school was provided to applicant schools. Additional costs to local schools, typically exceeding $100,000, were for building renovations and the purchase of classroom furnishings, auxiliary equipment, and supplies. Table 27 details how these funds were distributed to school systems in fiscal year 1997.

Table 27. Applied Technology Labs, FY97

The CrossRoads Alternative School Program was developed to provide chronically disruptive students (including adjudicated youth) in grades 6-12 with social services and individualized instruction. The program helps participants to become successful students and good citizens in the school and larger community. By removing chronically disruptive students, the program makes the public schools safer and more secure. Table 28 details how these funds were distributed to school systems in fiscal year 1997.

Table 28. Alternative Programs, FY97

Over $27 million in lottery funds was appropriated to provide each K-12 school with funds to purchase technology hardware and software. These funds were distributed to schools based on a rate of $21.00 per FTE (student full-time equivalent). Each school system received a minimum grant of $53,000. Table 29 details how these funds were distributed to school systems in fiscal year 1997.

Table 29. Computers in the Classroom, FY97

Table 29. Computers in the Classroom, FY97 (continued)

In addition, $2,736,950 in lottery funds was appropriated for purchasing a comprehensive fund accounting, student information system and financial analysis model. The fund accounting system will replace an out-dated, ten-year-old system. The student information system will allow school systems to transmit to the Department of Education the mandated student record in electronic form and to collect and transmit FTE funding data.

Board of Regents Technology

The Board of Regents has received lottery funds for various technology programs over the last four years. Table 30 details how these lottery funds were allocated from fiscal year 1995 to fiscal year 1997. The majority of funding has gone to the Regents Trust Fund, which provides funding for technological equipment that is too expensive to be purchased from a single year’s budget.

Table 30. Board of Regents Technology Programs, Fiscal Years 1995-1997

Tables 31-34 show the expenditure of funds by institution from the Regents Trust Fund, also referred to as the Equipment, Technology, and Construction Trust Fund. In addition, the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, the only Regents "B" Unit Institution to receive trust funds in FY97, received $50,000.

Table 31.
Board of Regents Trust Fund Expenditures for National Universities, Fiscal Years 1995-1997

Table 32.
Board of Regents Trust Fund Expenditures for Regional Universities, Fiscal Years 1995-1997

Table 33.
Board of Regents Trust Fund Expenditures for State Universities, Fiscal Years 1995-1997

Table 34. Board of Regents Trust Fund Expenditures for Colleges, Fiscal Years 1995-1997

In fiscal year 1997, the Board of Regents received a $10.1 million allocation for special funding initiatives. The special funding initiatives were Connecting Teachers and Technology, Connecting Students and Services, the Statewide Library, and Model Classrooms. Table 35-38 shows how this money was disbursed to each of the following Board of Regents institutions. In addition, two Regents "B" Institutions received special initiative funding. They were the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, which received $76,000, and the Office of Information Technology, which received $2,921,603.

Table 35. Special Funding Initiatives for National Universities, Fiscal Year 1997

Table 36. Special Funding Initiatives for Regional Universities, Fiscal Year 1997

Table 37. Special Funding Initiatives for State Universities, Fiscal Year 1997

Table 38. Special Funding Initiatives for Colleges, Fiscal Year 1997

Department of Technical and Adult Education Technology

In the first three years of lottery funding, the Department of Technical and Adult Education decreased each year. In fiscal year 1997, DTAE received more technology funding than in the three previous years. Table 39 details the three programs that to which this funding was allocated.

Table 39. DTAE Technology Funding, Fiscal Year 1997

In fiscal year 1997, the majority of lottery technology funds was spent on equipment for technical institutes. Table 40 shows how this money was distributed to the various technical institutes.

Table 40. Equipment for Technical Institutes, Fiscal Years 1995-1997