School Choice & Parent Empowerment
Ruth D. Goldstein · District 2
DeKalb County School Board · May 19, 2026
School Choice & Parent Empowerment|A message to District 2 families · May 2026
Education Policy · District 2 · DeKalb County Schools
The Money Georgia Allocates for Your Child Should Follow Your Child
Georgia spends $14,414 per student every year. Right now, that money belongs to the system — not to your family. I believe parents, not zip codes, should determine where that investment goes.
RG
Ruth D. Goldstein, CFP®
Registered Investment Advisor · Candidate for DeKalb School Board, District 2
Every year, the State of Georgia and DeKalb County together invest approximately $14,414 for every child enrolled in a public school. That is your tax money. It represents a commitment this community makes — through property taxes, state taxes, and federal funding — to give every child a quality education.
Now let me ask you a question that I think about constantly as a fiduciary professional: Who does that money work for?
Right now, in most cases, it works for the system — not for your family. Your child is assigned to a school based on your address. The money follows that assignment. If the school is not working for your child, the options available to most District 2 parents are limited — and the money stays put regardless.
I believe that is backwards. I believe the funding Georgia allocates for your child should follow your child — to whatever school, program, or learning environment best serves them. And I believe this principle is the single most powerful reform a school board can support, because it does something no policy memo or committee meeting ever will: it forces the board to earn your trust, every single year, or risk losing students to alternatives that better serve their needs.
What Georgia Spends Per Student
Your Child Represents a Significant Public Investment
Before we talk about where the money should go, it helps to understand how much is actually at stake for each child.
$14,414
Average annual per-pupil spending in Georgia public schools
Source: Navigate School Choice / Georgia data [1]
$6,500
State QBE formula funds sent per student to local school districts
Source: Georgia Budget & Policy Institute, FY2026 [2]
1.7M
Students currently enrolled in Georgia public schools, 2025–26
Source: Georgia Department of Education [3]
These are not abstract numbers. They represent real dollars — collected from DeKalb County homeowners and Georgia taxpayers — that flow into our school system each year on behalf of each enrolled child. As a fiduciary, I look at that figure and I ask: are these funds deployed in the way that produces the best outcome for the person they are meant to serve? Right now, for too many families, the honest answer is no.
The Current System
Today, the System Holds the Cards — Not Parents
In the current model, a school board's financial security is largely guaranteed. Students are assigned by address. Money flows from the state and county based on enrollment counts. Whether a school is thriving or struggling, whether parents are satisfied or frustrated, the funding mechanism works the same way.
That is not how any well-functioning market or institution operates. In my profession, if my clients are not satisfied with the results I deliver, they leave — and they take their business with them. That accountability is not a threat to me. It is what makes me better. It is what keeps me focused on results rather than process, on outcomes rather than activity.
How School Board Accountability Changes When Funding Follows Students
Current System — Fixed Funding
Students assigned by addressParents have limited ability to choose their child's school without paying private tuition out of pocket.
Money stays regardless of performanceA struggling school loses students only to overcrowding — not to parent dissatisfaction.
Board answers to the systemBoard decisions are shaped by administrative relationships and internal politics.
Parents are petitionersFamilies must attend meetings and hope the board listens. Exit is not a realistic option for most.
Funding Follows the Student
Parents choose — money followsFamilies can direct their child's per-pupil allocation to the school or program that best fits their needs.
Schools must earn enrollmentBoards and administrators compete for students — and their funding — by delivering results.
Board answers to parentsWhen parents can vote with their feet, every board decision becomes a retention decision.
Parents have real powerExit is a genuine option. That changes the entire dynamic between families and administrators.
I want to be direct: I am not suggesting that public schools should be defunded or that every family should leave the traditional system. The vast majority of DeKalb County families — 84.3% of Georgia students attend traditional public schools — and many are well-served by them. The goal is not to hollow out public education. The goal is to give every family genuine power, so that school boards must earn their students rather than assume them.
What Georgia Has Already Done
Georgia Has Already Taken the First Step — But It Is Not Enough
In 2024, the Georgia General Assembly passed the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233) — the state's first education savings account (ESA) program. This is a real and meaningful step forward for school choice in Georgia, and I support its underlying principle completely.
The Georgia Promise Scholarship — What It Does Now
The Georgia Promise Scholarship provides up to $6,500 per year — roughly the state's per-pupil QBE formula allocation — to eligible families in an education savings account. Funds can be used for private school tuition and fees, required textbooks, tutoring, therapy services, curriculum materials, and transportation.
Eligible families can use these funds for private school tuition, tutoring, approved curriculum, therapeutic services, and more — giving them real flexibility to build the right education for their child.
The program launched in the 2025–26 school year. A new federal school choice tax credit program, created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, takes effect January 2027 and further expands options for Georgia families.
The limitation: Today, eligibility is restricted to students zoned for schools in the bottom 25% of Georgia's performance rankings, with family income under 400% of the federal poverty level. Thousands of District 2 families who are struggling with school fit — but not in a "bottom 25%" zone — do not qualify.
The Promise Scholarship proves that Georgia has the mechanism, the political will, and the administrative infrastructure to put education dollars directly in parents' hands. What it has not yet done is extend that opportunity to every family — regardless of which school they are zoned for, or what their income happens to be.
That is where I believe the next fight must be won. And as a school board member, I will be a vocal advocate for expanding that principle — because a school board that supports parent choice is a school board that trusts parents.
When parents can take their child's funding elsewhere, every board decision becomes a question of whether families will stay. That is exactly the accountability pressure our board has been missing.
— Ruth D. Goldstein, CFP® · Candidate, District 2
My Position on School Choice
What I Will Fight For as Your District 2 Representative
A school board member cannot unilaterally change state law — that is the General Assembly's domain. But a school board member can use their platform, their vote, and their voice to shape the environment in which those decisions are made. Here is where I stand:
Ruth Goldstein's School Choice Platform — District 2
1
Support the full expansion of the Georgia Promise Scholarship to every DeKalb family.The current income and zoning restrictions leave too many families behind. I will publicly advocate for universal eligibility — so that every District 2 parent, regardless of zip code or income, can access the funding their child is entitled to and direct it to the school that serves them best.
2
Treat enrollment as a vote of confidence — not a guarantee.When families choose to stay in DeKalb County Schools, that should be because we have earned their trust — not because they have no alternative. I will push this board to view every enrollment decision as a referendum on performance.
3
Strengthen and expand charter school options within DeKalb.Charter schools are public schools that operate with greater flexibility and must earn their enrollment. They are a powerful accountability tool within the public system. I will support expanding high-quality charter options across District 2.
4
Make DeKalb County Schools the school parents choose — not the school they are assigned.The best answer to school choice competition is not to oppose it — it is to be so good that families choose to stay. I will hold our administration accountable for the academic results and the environment that make DeKalb the right choice for families, not just the default.
5
Demand transparent, school-by-school financial reporting.If parents are to make informed choices, they need to know how per-pupil dollars are actually spent at their child's school. As a fiduciary, I will push for line-item transparency at the school level — not just the district level — so parents can see where the money goes.
The Bottom Line
A Board That Trusts Parents — and Must Earn Their Trust Back
I spent the early part of this campaign talking about governance failures — about a board that voted for a superintendent with publicly reported ethics concerns because an incumbent wanted to protect her working relationship. That failure and this one are connected at the root.
A board that does not fear losing students is a board that does not have to listen to parents. A board that knows families have nowhere else to go is a board that can prioritize its own relationships over your child's education. The answer to both failures is the same: give parents the power to leave. Because when parents can leave — and take the funding with them — the board suddenly has every reason to listen.
Georgia has already begun this work. The Promise Scholarship exists. The principle is established in state law. What is missing is a school board that embraces it — that says to every District 2 family: we want to be your school, not just your assigned school. We will earn your trust every year. And if we fail to earn it, you have the right to take your child and your child's funding somewhere else.
That is what I am running to build. A board that is accountable to parents because parents have real power — not just a seat in the audience at a board meeting, but a genuine choice about where their child's education dollars go.
Your child's education is the most important investment this community makes. It is time the system treated you — the parent — as the decision-maker you are.
Election Day is May 19, 2026.
Early voting is open now.
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Sources & Notes
[1]
Georgia average per-pupil spending — $14,414: Navigate School Choice / Georgia state education data. This figure represents the total average annual public investment per enrolled student including local, state, and federal sources.
[2]
Georgia QBE state formula — approximately $6,500 per student: Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, FY2026 Education Primer; Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233), 2024. The $6,500 Georgia Promise Scholarship amount was set to approximate the average per-pupil state QBE allocation.
[3]
1.7 million students enrolled, 2025–26: Georgia Department of Education, as cited in Georgia Budget and Policy Institute FY2027 education budget overview.
[4]
Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233): Signed into law 2024. Provides up to $6,500 per year in education savings account funds for eligible students. Currently limited to students zoned for schools in the bottom 25% of Georgia's CCRPI performance rankings and families with income under 400% of the federal poverty level. Program launched 2025–26 school year. Source: mygeorgiapromise.org; K-12 Dive, December 2025.
[5]
84.3% of Georgia students attend traditional public schools: Navigate School Choice, Georgia state education data.
[6]
Federal school choice tax credit — One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025: Creates a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for donations toward K–12 private school scholarships. Takes effect January 1, 2027. Key implementation details still being finalized under federal Treasury guidance. Source: GreatSchools.org, April 2026.
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Paid for by Ruth Goldstein for DeKalb School Board, Not affiliated with DeKalb County School District or any government entity.
Ruth D. Goldstein, CFP® Professional, is a Registered Investment Advisor Managing Member and Certified Financial Planning® professional, and a candidate for the DeKalb County School Board. To learn more or get involved in the campaign, visit www.Goldstein2SchoolBoard.com or contact ruth@goldstein2schoolboard.com.